Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In New Mexico, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $77,880 at the median, or about $37.44 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $83,688 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,119/month, or 21.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $78K get you in New Mexico?
About educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
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What this looks like in New Mexico
New Mexico sits well above the national pay line for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,119/month, 22.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, New Mexico offers a genuinely strong financial position for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Mexico
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary by metro in New Mexico
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $79K | +2% | 810 |
| Farmington | $78K | +1% | 100 |
| Santa Fe | $75K | -3% | 180 |
| Las Cruces | $53K | -32% | 140 |
Compare to other states
Track educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Mexico numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Mexico?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 22.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/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 New Mexico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,800/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 New Mexico?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $78K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
New Mexico pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in New Mexico?
The median is $77,880 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,660, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $103,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in New Mexico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,029/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 22.3% 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 New Mexico?
New Mexico has a Regional Price Parity of 93.06 (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 $83,688 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.