School Counselor.
New York.
$86,000
median salary, 32% above the national average
$69,000 to $109,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
School Counselor pay in New York ranges from $69,000 to $109,000 in 2026. The median is $86,000, 32% above the national average. New York City remains one of the world's largest and most diverse job markets, with unmatched density in finance, media, and technology. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 New York, 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 $77,580 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, based on 19,890 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$50,330
25th percentile
$62,070
Median
$77,580
75th percentile
$99,890
90th percentile
$129,750
Workers surveyed
19,890
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 New York range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. New York is reported by BLS within the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 21-1012Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $77,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$56,000
to $69,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$95,000
to $112,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$108,000
to $133,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$86,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $112,000
How New York compares.
New York, NY
$86,000
Cost of living: 28% above average
National Average
$65,000
New York is $21,000 above
School Counselor salary by city.
Salary by role in New York.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for School Counselor roles in New York, here is what you are walking into. New York City remains one of the world's largest and most diverse job markets, with unmatched density in finance, media, and technology. The city's tech sector has grown rapidly, rivaling the Bay Area for venture funding and startup activity. Remote work has reshaped demand slightly, but employers still pay premiums for in office presence in Manhattan. 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 New York, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 28% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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 York State income tax rates reach 10.9%, and New York City adds a local income tax up to 3.876%. Combined with federal taxes, your effective rate can be among the highest nationally. When someone quotes you $86,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work from the office in Manhattan. Many NYC employers pay 10 to 15% more for in person roles compared to remote positions. The range for School Counselors in New York runs from $69,000 to $109,000. 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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Common questions.
School Counselor salary in other cities.
Other salaries in New York.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"School Counselor Salary in New York, NY." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/school-counselor/new-york
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