School Counselor.
Jackson.
$51,000
median salary, 22% below the national average
$41,000 to $66,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A School Counselor in Jackson earns a median of $51,000 in 2026. That is 22% below the national average. The range runs from $41,000 to $66,000, 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 Jackson, 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 $58,620 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) in the Jackson, MS metropolitan area, based on 580 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$39,050
25th percentile
$46,030
Median
$58,620
75th percentile
$66,020
90th percentile
$76,330
Workers surveyed
580
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 Jackson 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 $46,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$33,000
to $41,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$43,000
to $54,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$56,000
to $66,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$64,000
to $79,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $15,000 to the total package.
Base
$51,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $66,000
How Jackson compares.
Jackson, MS
$51,000
Cost of living: 21% below average
National Average
$65,000
Jackson is $14,000 below
School Counselor salary by city.
Salary by role in Jackson.
What you should know.
Here is what the School Counselor market actually looks like in Jackson. Jackson is Mississippi's capital and largest city, with an economy driven by government, healthcare, and energy. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is a major employer. Jackson offers some of the lowest living costs in the country, making even moderate salaries deliver substantial purchasing power. 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 Jackson, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 21% 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: mississippi's top income tax rate is 5%. Jackson has no city income tax. The very low cost of living means take home pay goes further here than almost any other metro. When someone quotes you $51,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against regional healthcare and government pay scales. Jackson employers offer competitive benefits packages to compensate for lower base salaries. The range for School Counselors in Jackson runs from $41,000 to $66,000. 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
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- An Electrician in Jackson earns $50,000 (2% less)
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Common questions.
School Counselor salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Jackson.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"School Counselor Salary in Jackson, MS." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/school-counselor/jackson
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