Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $79,000 a year — 23% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $60,262 take-home, or $5,022 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$8,550
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,898
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,146
- California income tax$3,117
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,027
- Take-home pay$60,262
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state
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 Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $49,690 | $23.89 | $40,429 | $3,369 |
| 25th percentile | $60,540 | $29.11 | $48,355 | $4,030 |
| Median (50th) | $79,000 | $37.98 | $60,262 | $5,022 |
| 75th percentile | $109,100 | $52.45 | $78,247 | $6,521 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $135,030 | $64.92 | $93,475 | $7,790 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $79,000 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $60,262 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,063 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Los Angeles, CA has 1.2× 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
Los Angeles, CA ranks #18 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 |
| 18 | Los Angeles, CA | $79,000 | $60,262 | $53,063 |
*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.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salaries elsewhere in California
- Sacramento, CA — $100,930
- Riverside, CA — $96,780
- San Jose, CA — $95,390
- San Francisco, CA — $94,600
- San Diego, CA — $83,520
Frequently asked questions
How much does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $79,000 a year, or about $37.98 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $60,540 and $109,100.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $79,000 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $60,262 a year ($5,022 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,144 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 23% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,063 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #18 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 Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 45% 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 Los Angeles, CA
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist — $108,150
- Healthcare Social Worker — $79,830
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker — $78,410
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers — $71,250
- Marriage and Family Therapist — $71,110
- Health Education Specialist — $62,380
- Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other — $56,960
- Community Health Worker — $56,030
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — $51,910
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $50,330
- Counselors, All Other — $48,830
- Rehabilitation Counselor — $43,480