Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Seattle, WA
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median $87,280 a year — 36% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $70,231 take-home, or $5,853 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Seattle, WA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$10,372
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,411
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,266
- Washington income tax$0
- Take-home pay$70,231
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% 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 Seattle, WA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $61,570 | $29.60 | $51,651 | $4,304 |
| 25th percentile | $73,620 | $35.39 | $60,622 | $5,052 |
| Median (50th) | $87,280 | $41.96 | $70,231 | $5,853 |
| 75th percentile | $104,760 | $50.37 | $82,529 | $6,877 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $129,050 | $62.04 | $99,472 | $8,289 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Washington resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $87,280 buys in Seattle, WA
Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $70,231 take-home pay has the buying power of $63,196 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 less concentrated in Seattle, WA than nationally (location quotient 0.75), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Seattle, WA ranks #4 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 Seattle, WA?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $87,280 a year, or about $41.96 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $73,620 and $104,760.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Seattle, WA?
On the median $87,280 salary, a single filer living in Washington takes home about $70,231 a year ($5,853 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 36% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 11.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $63,196 would in a typical U.S. city. Seattle, WA ranks #4 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 Seattle, WA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle, WA is $2,022 a month ($2,379 for two bedrooms) — 35% 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 Seattle, WA
- Healthcare Social Worker — $83,550
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers — $75,280
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — $73,580
- Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other — $70,630
- Rehabilitation Counselor — $58,580
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $58,090