Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Jefferson City, MO, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $55,520 at the median, or about $26.69 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.97), which stretches that salary to about $63,112 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $910/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $56K get you in Jefferson City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jefferson City’s Regional Price Parity (87.97). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Jefferson City
Pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in Jefferson City runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $910/month, 24.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Jefferson City can be a reasonable trade-off for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in metros near Jefferson City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $60K | $63K |
| Kansas City | $61K | $66K |
| Springfield | $54K | $61K |
| Columbia | $51K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jefferson City, MO
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $37K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Jefferson City numbers change.
Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jefferson City?
Yes — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 24.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $910/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 Jefferson City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,428/month. At HUD’s $910/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Jefferson City?
Local pay runs 14% 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 Jefferson City compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Jefferson City pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Jefferson City, MO?
The median is $55,520 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,470, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $77,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Jefferson City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,733/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $910/month, which eats 24.4% 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 Jefferson City?
Jefferson City has a Regional Price Parity of 87.97 (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 $63,112 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.