Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary in Portland, OR
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn a median $78,400 a year — 22% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $57,954 take-home, or $4,830 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in Portland, OR. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$8,418
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,861
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,137
- Oregon income tax$6,030
- Take-home pay$57,954
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 8.75% state
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro spans Oregon, Washington. 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 Portland, OR
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $52,780 | $25.38 | $40,800 | $3,400 |
| 25th percentile | $62,890 | $30.24 | $48,039 | $4,003 |
| Median (50th) | $78,400 | $37.69 | $57,954 | $4,830 |
| 75th percentile | $99,220 | $47.70 | $70,779 | $5,898 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $126,460 | $60.80 | $87,466 | $7,289 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Oregon resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $78,400 buys in Portland, OR
Prices in Portland, OR are 5.4% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.25× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors's $57,954 take-home pay has the buying power of $54,974 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 Portland, OR as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.87).
Best-paying cities for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, adjusted for cost of living
Portland, OR ranks #11 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 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $78,400 | $57,954 | $54,974 |
*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 Portland, OR?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area is $78,400 a year, or about $37.69 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $62,890 and $99,220.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’s take-home pay in Portland, OR?
On the median $78,400 salary, a single filer living in Oregon takes home about $57,954 a year ($4,830 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,030 in Oregon taxes in 2026.
Is Portland, OR a good place to work as a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Pay here is 22% above the national median of $64,330. Local prices are 5.4% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $54,974 would in a typical U.S. city. Portland, OR ranks #11 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 Portland, OR?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Portland, OR is $1,677 a month ($1,922 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%.