School Counselor.
Los Angeles.
$74,000
median salary, 14% above the national average
$60,000 to $95,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A School Counselor in Los Angeles earns a median of $74,000 in 2026. That is 14% above the national average. The range runs from $60,000 to $95,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. State licensure requirements, school level assignment, and district funding levels drive pay variance. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for School Counselor in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $79,000 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 17,110 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,690
25th percentile
$60,540
Median
$79,000
75th percentile
$109,100
90th percentile
$135,030
Workers surveyed
17,110
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) rather than School Counselor specifically. The Los Angelesrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 21-1012Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $67,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$48,000
to $59,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$63,000
to $78,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$81,000
to $96,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$93,000
to $115,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $22,000 to the total package.
Base
$74,000
Equity
$13,000
Bonus
$8,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $96,000
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$74,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$65,000
Los Angeles is $9,000 above
School Counselor salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
The School Counselor landscape in Los Angeles is not what most salary sites will tell you. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. State licensure requirements, school level assignment, and district funding levels drive pay variance. Counselors in well-funded suburban districts or states with mandated counselor-to-student ratios earn significantly more. Advanced certifications in college counseling or trauma-informed care add salary value.
Entry-level School Counselors earn $46,000 to $52,000. Experienced counselors with five to ten years reach $58,000 to $70,000. Lead Counselors and Department Heads earn $72,000 to $85,000, while Directors of School Counseling and Student Services command $88,000 to $110,000. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. School counselors typically work 10 to 11 months, with optional summer employment adding $3,000 to $6,000. Pension benefits and comprehensive health insurance add $15,000 to $25,000 in effective value. Some districts offer tuition reimbursement for doctoral studies. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $74,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for School Counselors in Los Angeles runs from $60,000 to $95,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
School Counselor salary in other cities.
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