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Salary comparison

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors vs. Social and Human Service Assistants: Who Earns More?

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss out-earn Social and Human Service Assistantss by $18K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss land at $64,330 and Social and Human Service Assistantss at $45,930. The education gap is real: educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor programs typically require master's degree, while social and human service assistant programs require master's degree. Top-paying state for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss is California ($86,500); for Social and Human Service Assistantss it's District of Columbia ($59,460).

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Social and Human Service Assistants
Median salary
$64,330
$45,930
Hourly rate
$30.93/hr
$22.08/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$45,020
$34,200
Senior level (90th %)
$104,770
$63,290
Education required
Master's degree
Master's degree
U.S. employment
353,310
437,860
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Community & Social
Community & Social
Top-paying state
California
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors median pay.

State
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Social and Human Service Assistants
California
$86,500
$51,090
Alaska
$82,900
$47,360
Washington
$82,670
$54,770
District of Columbia
$80,470
$59,460
Massachusetts
$79,930
$47,130
New Jersey
$77,910
$48,420
Maryland
$75,820
$47,210
Rhode Island
$75,000
$47,720
New York
$71,610
$47,190
Oregon
$66,690
$51,230
Colorado
$64,780
$47,690
Minnesota
$64,600
$49,940
Wisconsin
$62,690
$47,500
Idaho
$60,320
$47,540
Maine
$58,630
$47,710

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss or Social and Human Service Assistantss?

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss earn more nationally. The median is $64,330 for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss versus $45,930 for Social and Human Service Assistantss, a difference of $18K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors or Social and Human Service Assistants?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors or Social and Human Service Assistants?

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors typically requires master's degree. Social and Human Service Assistants requires master's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss at $86,500/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors vs. Social and Human Service Assistants pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss earn $86,500 vs. $51,090 for Social and Human Service Assistantss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary breakdownView →Full Social and Human Service Assistants salary breakdownView →Best cities for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisorss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Social and Human Service Assistantss by take-home payExplore →How to become a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorsGuide →How to become a social and human service assistantsGuide →