Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $55,870 at the median, or about $26.86 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $63,137 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,095/month, or 29.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $56K get you in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). 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 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
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What this looks like in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $64K. Rent runs $1,095/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $60K | $61K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $63K | $64K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $58K | $60K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $56K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $20K 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)
Track educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Yes — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 29.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,678/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $56K here vs. $64K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $55,870 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,630, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $64,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,701/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 29.6% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (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 $63,137 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.