Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Boston, MA
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $80,760 a year — 26% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $61,827 take-home, or $5,152 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$8,937
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,007
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,171
- Massachusetts income tax$3,818
- Take-home pay$61,827
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.00% state
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro spans Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay by experience in Boston, MA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $60,390 | $29.03 | $47,904 | $3,992 |
| 25th percentile | $66,280 | $31.87 | $52,342 | $4,362 |
| Median (50th) | $80,760 | $38.83 | $61,827 | $5,152 |
| 75th percentile | $102,500 | $49.28 | $76,034 | $6,336 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $122,910 | $59.09 | $89,349 | $7,446 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Massachusetts resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $80,760 buys in Boston, MA
Prices in Boston, MA are 8.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.48× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $61,827 take-home pay has the buying power of $57,106 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Boston, MA has 1.3× the national concentration of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Boston, MA ranks #8 of 31 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $100,930 | $73,365 | $68,778 |
| 2 | Riverside, CA | $96,780 | $70,886 | $66,596 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $95,390 | $70,055 | $63,442 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $87,280 | $70,231 | $63,196 |
| 5 | Houston, TX | $75,930 | $62,247 | $63,112 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $76,380 | $62,563 | $60,688 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $94,600 | $69,583 | $60,186 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $80,760 | $61,827 | $57,106 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 31 metros →
About the job: educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
- Typical education
- Master's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.9% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Boston, MA?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $80,760 a year, or about $38.83 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $66,280 and $102,500.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?
On the median $80,760 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $61,827 a year ($5,152 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,818 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.
Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 26% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $57,106 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #8 of 31 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors afford rent in Boston, MA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Boston, MA is $2,276 a month ($2,762 for two bedrooms) — 44% of a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Boston, MA
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- Child, Family, and School Social Workers — $77,420
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker — $63,830
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — $62,130
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $47,530
- Rehabilitation Counselor — $47,440