Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Anchorage, AK, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $82,900 at the median, or about $39.86 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $78,638 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,376/month, or 24.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $83K get you in Anchorage?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Anchorage’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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.
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What this looks like in Anchorage
Anchorage sits well above the national pay line for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,376/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Anchorage offers a genuinely strong financial position for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in metros near Anchorage, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College | $80K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Anchorage, AK
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $87K | +34% | 45,140 |
| Alaska | $83K | +29% | 540 |
| Washington | $83K | +29% | 6,610 |
| District of Columbia | $80K | +25% | 1,690 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +24% | 11,460 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +21% | 8,190 |
| New Mexico | $78K | +21% | 1,780 |
| Maryland | $76K | +18% | 6,600 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +17% | 1,340 |
| Delaware | $74K | +15% | 1,700 |
| Connecticut | $74K | +15% | 3,370 |
| New York | $72K | +11% | 23,380 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +10% | 1,650 |
| Texas | $68K | +6% | 31,730 |
| Virginia | $68K | +5% | 9,450 |
| Nevada | $67K | +4% | 2,250 |
| Oregon | $67K | +4% | 3,990 |
| Colorado | $65K | +1% | 6,530 |
| Minnesota | $65K | +0% | 4,200 |
| Vermont | $65K | +0% | 1,120 |
| Kentucky | $64K | +0% | 5,030 |
| Georgia | $64K | -1% | 11,460 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -1% | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | -3% | 5,330 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -3% | 2,190 |
| Illinois | $62K | -3% | 13,580 |
| Louisiana | $62K | -4% | 4,820 |
| Ohio | $62K | -4% | 13,250 |
| Hawaii | $62K | -4% | 1,620 |
| Utah | $61K | -5% | 4,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -5% | 13,570 |
| South Carolina | $60K | -6% | 6,460 |
| Idaho | $60K | -6% | 1,990 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -7% | 6,470 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -7% | 2,310 |
| Alabama | $60K | -7% | 4,410 |
| Michigan | $59K | -8% | 9,170 |
| Indiana | $59K | -8% | 5,610 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -8% | 840 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -9% | 2,620 |
| Maine | $59K | -9% | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $58K | -9% | 7,330 |
| Missouri | $58K | -10% | 8,890 |
| Montana | $58K | -10% | 890 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -10% | 9,430 |
| Kansas | $57K | -12% | 3,100 |
| Iowa | $57K | -12% | 3,690 |
| West Virginia | $56K | -14% | 1,260 |
| Florida | $53K | -17% | 22,800 |
| Oklahoma | $52K | -19% | 4,830 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -19% | 1,000 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Anchorage?
Yes — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,376/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in Anchorage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,052/month. At HUD’s $1,376/month FMR, rent would take 45% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor a high-paying job in Anchorage?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $83K here vs. $64K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Anchorage compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Anchorage pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Anchorage, AK?
The median is $82,900 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,870, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $101,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Anchorage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,559/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,376/month, which eats 24.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary go in Anchorage?
Anchorage has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary is worth about $78,638 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors 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.