Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Riverside, CA
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn a median $96,780 a year — 50% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $70,886 take-home, or $5,907 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Riverside, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$12,462
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,000
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,403
- California income tax$4,771
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,258
- Take-home pay$70,886
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 Riverside, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $49,150 | $23.63 | $40,035 | $3,336 |
| 25th percentile | $69,140 | $33.24 | $54,252 | $4,521 |
| Median (50th) | $96,780 | $46.53 | $70,886 | $5,907 |
| 75th percentile | $130,570 | $62.77 | $90,900 | $7,575 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $154,420 | $74.24 | $104,673 | $8,723 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $96,780 buys in Riverside, CA
Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.4% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.29× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $70,886 take-home pay has the buying power of $66,596 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 Riverside, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.97).
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Riverside, CA ranks #2 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.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salaries elsewhere in California
- Sacramento, CA — $100,930
- San Jose, CA — $95,390
- San Francisco, CA — $94,600
- San Diego, CA — $83,520
- Los Angeles, CA — $79,000
Frequently asked questions
How much does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Riverside, CA?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area is $96,780 a year, or about $46.53 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $69,140 and $130,570.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Riverside, CA?
On the median $96,780 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $70,886 a year ($5,907 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,029 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Riverside, CA a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 50% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 6.4% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $66,596 would in a typical U.S. city. Riverside, CA ranks #2 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 Riverside, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Riverside, CA is $1,777 a month ($2,201 for two bedrooms) — 30% of a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.