Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Denver, CO
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earn a median $67,080 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $53,778 take-home, or $4,481 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Denver, CO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,928
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,159
- Medicare (1.45%)$973
- Colorado income tax$2,243
- Take-home pay$53,778
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.40% 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 Denver, CO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $51,120 | $24.58 | $41,714 | $3,476 |
| 25th percentile | $60,110 | $28.90 | $48,542 | $4,045 |
| Median (50th) | $67,080 | $32.25 | $53,778 | $4,481 |
| 75th percentile | $82,860 | $39.84 | $64,185 | $5,349 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $100,660 | $48.39 | $75,924 | $6,327 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Colorado resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $67,080 buys in Denver, CO
Prices in Denver, CO are 5.8% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.47× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $53,778 take-home pay has the buying power of $50,838 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 Denver, CO as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.82).
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Denver, CO ranks #24 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 |
| 24 | Denver, CO | $67,080 | $53,778 | $50,838 |
*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 Denver, CO?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area is $67,080 a year, or about $32.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $60,110 and $82,860.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Denver, CO?
On the median $67,080 salary, a single filer living in Colorado takes home about $53,778 a year ($4,481 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,243 in Colorado taxes in 2026.
Is Denver, CO a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 4% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 5.8% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $50,838 would in a typical U.S. city. Denver, CO ranks #24 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 Denver, CO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Denver, CO is $1,754 a month ($2,089 for two bedrooms) — 39% of a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.