Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Topeka, KS, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $61,960 at the median, or about $29.79 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.82), which stretches that salary to about $69,759 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,057/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K get you in Topeka?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Topeka’s Regional Price Parity (88.82). 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 Topeka
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors pay in Topeka tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,057/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.82 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in metros near Topeka, adjusted for local cost of living.
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Topeka, KS
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $27K 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 Topeka?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 25.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,057/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 Topeka?
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 $2,750/month. At HUD’s $1,057/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Topeka?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Topeka compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Topeka pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Topeka, KS?
The median is $61,960 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,830, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $72,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Topeka?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,079/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,057/month, which eats 25.9% 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 Topeka?
Topeka has a Regional Price Parity of 88.82 (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 $69,759 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.