Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Chicago, IL
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $64,730 a year — 1% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $51,131 take-home, or $4,261 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,588
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,013
- Medicare (1.45%)$939
- Illinois income tax$3,059
- Take-home pay$51,131
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.95% state
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro spans Illinois, Indiana. 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 Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $47,200 | $22.69 | $37,914 | $3,159 |
| 25th percentile | $52,200 | $25.10 | $41,684 | $3,474 |
| Median (50th) | $64,730 | $31.12 | $51,131 | $4,261 |
| 75th percentile | $84,760 | $40.75 | $64,408 | $5,367 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,580 | $53.16 | $81,294 | $6,775 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $64,730 buys in Chicago, IL
Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $51,131 take-home pay has the buying power of $49,357 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.95).
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #26 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 |
| 26 | Chicago, IL | $64,730 | $51,131 | $49,357 |
*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 Chicago, IL?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $64,730 a year, or about $31.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $52,200 and $84,760.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $64,730 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $51,131 a year ($4,261 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,059 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 1% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $49,357 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #26 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 Chicago, IL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Chicago, IL is $1,534 a month ($1,743 for two bedrooms) — 36% 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 Chicago, IL
- Healthcare Social Worker — $71,430
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers — $64,790
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — $61,600
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker — $57,720
- Rehabilitation Counselor — $49,350
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $47,180