School Counselor.
Albuquerque.
$59,000
median salary, 9% below the national average
$47,000 to $75,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates School Counselor pay in Albuquerque at $59,000, within a range of $47,000 to $75,000. That is 9% below the national average. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for School Counselor in Albuquerque, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $79,180 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) in the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area, based on 810 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$48,570
25th percentile
$54,110
Median
$79,180
75th percentile
$88,740
90th percentile
$107,000
Workers surveyed
810
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $59,000 is 25% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors covers a different population than the School Counselor title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) rather than School Counselor specifically. The Albuquerque range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 21-1012Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $53,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$38,000
to $47,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$50,000
to $62,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$65,000
to $77,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$74,000
to $91,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$59,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $76,000
How Albuquerque compares.
Albuquerque, NM
$59,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$65,000
Albuquerque is $6,000 below
School Counselor salary by city.
Salary by role in Albuquerque.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a School Counselor offer in Albuquerque, understand the terrain. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. The city offers affordable living and a strong pipeline of research and engineering jobs tied to national defense and energy programs. State licensure requirements, school level assignment, and district funding levels drive pay variance. Counselors in well-funded suburban districts or states with mandated counselor-to-student ratios earn significantly more. Advanced certifications in college counseling or trauma-informed care add salary value.
Entry-level School Counselors earn $46,000 to $52,000. Experienced counselors with five to ten years reach $58,000 to $70,000. Lead Counselors and Department Heads earn $72,000 to $85,000, while Directors of School Counseling and Student Services command $88,000 to $110,000. In Albuquerque, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. School counselors typically work 10 to 11 months, with optional summer employment adding $3,000 to $6,000. Pension benefits and comprehensive health insurance add $15,000 to $25,000 in effective value. Some districts offer tuition reimbursement for doctoral studies. And on the tax side: new Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9%. Albuquerque has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable housing create reasonable net compensation. When someone quotes you $59,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight security clearance or national lab experience. Sandia and Los Alamos pay nationally competitive salaries with excellent federal benefits packages. The range for School Counselors in Albuquerque runs from $47,000 to $75,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Social Worker in Albuquerque earns $58,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Albuquerque is CTO at $267,000
Common questions.
School Counselor salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Albuquerque.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"School Counselor Salary in Albuquerque, NM." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/school-counselor/albuquerque
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