Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Chico, CA, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $96,080 at the median, or about $46.19 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $128K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.2), that's roughly $94,941 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,625/month, or 26.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in Chico?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chico’s Regional Price Parity (101.2). 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 Chico
Chico sits well above the national pay line for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, local pay runs about 49% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Rent runs $1,625/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 101.2) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in metros near Chico, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $79K | $70K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $95K | $82K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $84K | $75K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $97K | $91K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chico, CA
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $128K or more, a $82K 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 Chico?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 27.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,625/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 Chico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,751/month. At HUD’s $1,625/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Chico?
Local pay is 49% above the national median — $96K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Chico compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Chico pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +49%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $95K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Chico, CA?
The median is $96,080 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,850, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $128,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Chico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,909/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,625/month, which eats 27.5% 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 Chico?
Chico has a Regional Price Parity of 101.2 (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 $94,941 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.