Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
In Virginia, educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn $67,660 at the median, or about $32.53 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $71,379 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $68K get you in Virginia?
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 Virginia
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $68K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 37.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $58K spread from bottom to top.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | $75K | +11% | 150 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $70K | +3% | 1,830 |
| Richmond | $68K | -0% | 1,480 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $64K | -6% | 110 |
| Charlottesville | $63K | -6% | 480 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $62K | -9% | 340 |
| Roanoke | $61K | -9% | 320 |
| Harrisonburg | $60K | -11% | 240 |
| Lynchburg | $59K | -13% | 250 |
Compare to other states
Track educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia 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 Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 37.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Virginia?
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 $2,742/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $68K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Virginia pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in Virginia?
The median is $67,660 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,700, and experienced educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors can clear $103,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,384/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 37.5% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $71,379 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.