Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Champaign-Urbana, IL, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $58,230 at the median, or about $27.99 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.7), which stretches that salary to about $62,816 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,122/month, or 29.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $58K get you in Champaign-Urbana?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Champaign-Urbana’s Regional Price Parity (92.7). 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 Champaign-Urbana
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors pay in Champaign-Urbana tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,122/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in metros near Champaign-Urbana, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $65K | $62K |
| Bloomington | $52K | $55K |
| Peoria | $60K | $65K |
| Rockford | $63K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Champaign-Urbana, IL
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $40K 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 Champaign-Urbana?
Yes — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 29.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,122/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 Champaign-Urbana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,431/month. At HUD’s $1,122/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Champaign-Urbana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Champaign-Urbana compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Champaign-Urbana pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Champaign-Urbana, IL?
The median is $58,230 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,520, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $80,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Champaign-Urbana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,829/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,122/month, which eats 29.3% 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 Champaign-Urbana?
Champaign-Urbana has a Regional Price Parity of 92.7 (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 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary is worth about $62,816 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.