Credit Counselors Salary
Credit Counselors in Charleston, WV make a median of $47,380 a year, or about $22.78 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $53,404 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,036/month, about 32.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About credit counselors
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What this looks like in Charleston
Credit counselors pay in Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $52K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,036/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for credit counselors in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Morgantown | $49K | $52K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $58K | $57K |
| Pittsburgh | $58K | $61K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $57K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level credit counselors (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Credit Counselors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Credit Counselors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $67K | +29% | 2,160 |
| Georgia | $64K | +23% | 460 |
| District of Columbia | $64K | +22% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +21% | 770 |
| New York | $63K | +21% | 2,020 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +20% | 260 |
| Washington | $62K | +19% | 560 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +19% | 580 |
| Maryland | $60K | +16% | 350 |
| Oregon | $59K | +13% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $59K | +13% | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +12% | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | +12% | 1,110 |
| New Jersey | $57K | +9% | 530 |
| Colorado | $57K | +9% | 360 |
| Maine | $55K | +6% | 170 |
| Nevada | $55K | +6% | 170 |
| Connecticut | $55K | +5% | 100 |
| South Carolina | $53K | +2% | 250 |
| Delaware | $53K | +1% | 40 |
| North Dakota | $52K | -0% | 30 |
| Michigan | $52K | -0% | 1,260 |
| Wisconsin | $52K | -0% | 770 |
| Illinois | $52K | -1% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $52K | -1% | 760 |
| Arizona | $51K | -1% | 980 |
| Utah | $51K | -2% | 190 |
| Ohio | $51K | -2% | 890 |
| Idaho | $51K | -2% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -4% | 200 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -6% | N/A |
| Texas | $48K | -8% | 3,950 |
| Indiana | $48K | -8% | 740 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -8% | 220 |
| Iowa | $48K | -8% | 440 |
| Alabama | $48K | -8% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $47K | -10% | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -10% | 230 |
| Florida | $46K | -11% | 2,410 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -12% | 320 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -12% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -12% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -14% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $43K | -18% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -26% | 950 |
| Missouri | $31K | -41% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track credit counselors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a credit counselor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 32.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for credit counselors in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new credit counselors typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,488/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is credit counselor a high-paying job in Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $52K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for credit counselors?
Charleston pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do credit counselors make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $47,380 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,460, and experienced credit counselors can clear $55,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,210/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 32.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a credit counselors salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median credit counselors salary is worth about $53,404 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do credit counselors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.