School Counselor.
Fargo.
$53,000
median salary, 18% below the national average
$42,000 to $68,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A School Counselor in Fargo earns a median of $53,000 in 2026. That is 18% below the national average. The range runs from $42,000 to $68,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. State licensure requirements, school level assignment, and district funding levels drive pay variance. 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 Fargo, 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 $52,960 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) in the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, based on 220 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$47,840
25th percentile
$49,750
Median
$52,960
75th percentile
$68,240
90th percentile
$87,320
Workers surveyed
220
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 Fargo 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 $48,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$34,000
to $42,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$45,000
to $56,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$58,000
to $69,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $16,000 to the total package.
Base
$53,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $69,000
How Fargo compares.
Fargo, ND
$53,000
Cost of living: 15% below average
National Average
$65,000
Fargo is $12,000 below
School Counselor salary by city.
Salary by role in Fargo.
What you should know.
The School Counselor landscape in Fargo is not what most salary sites will tell you. Fargo has a surprisingly strong technology sector, home to companies like Microsoft's campus and a growing startup ecosystem tied to North Dakota State University. The city's extremely low cost of living and emerging tech scene make it an increasingly attractive option for professionals seeking affordability. 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 Fargo, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 15% 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: north Dakota has a very low income tax with a top rate of just 2.5%. Fargo has no city income tax. The minimal tax burden combined with low living costs creates excellent take home pay. When someone quotes you $53,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight willingness to work on site. Fargo tech employers struggle to recruit talent to the region and reward candidates who commit to living locally. The range for School Counselors in Fargo runs from $42,000 to $68,000. 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?
- An HVAC Technician in Fargo earns $52,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Fargo is CTO at $258,000
Common questions.
School Counselor salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Fargo.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"School Counselor Salary in Fargo, ND." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/school-counselor/fargo
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