Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Texas, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $67,900 at the median, or about $32.64 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $74,216 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,415/month, or 30% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $68K get you in Texas?
About educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
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What this looks like in Texas
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $68K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,415/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary by metro in Texas
26 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa | $102K | +50% | 120 |
| Eagle Pass | $87K | +27% | 70 |
| Victoria | $84K | +24% | 100 |
| Midland | $83K | +23% | 180 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $80K | +18% | 990 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $76K | +12% | 7,980 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $76K | +12% | 6,480 |
| Killeen-Temple | $73K | +7% | 390 |
| Tyler | $73K | +7% | 220 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $73K | +7% | 510 |
| El Paso | $71K | +4% | 960 |
| Wichita Falls | $68K | +1% | 160 |
| Lubbock | $68K | +0% | 630 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $66K | -3% | 300 |
| Sherman-Denison | $66K | -3% | 150 |
| Waco | $66K | -3% | 380 |
| Longview | $65K | -5% | 260 |
| Amarillo | $64K | -6% | 300 |
| Corpus Christi | $63K | -7% | 430 |
| Texarkana | $62K | -9% | 130 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | -9% | 3,500 |
| San Angelo | $61K | -11% | 110 |
| Laredo | $60K | -11% | 420 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $59K | -13% | 3,120 |
| Abilene | $58K | -15% | 350 |
| College Station-Bryan | $49K | -27% | 830 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 30.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,543/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $68K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Texas pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Texas?
The median is $67,900 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,380, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $101,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,679/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 30.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary go in Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $74,216 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.