The salary of a school counselor in the DC area can vary from school district to school district, but there are some general trends that hold true. The job of a school counselor is complex, as it involves multiple aspects of education and psychology. There are many things a school counselor can be responsible for; this includes helping students develop social skills, train teachers on behavior management techniques and provide academic tutoring to struggling students.
The median annual wage for counselors, school was $49,950 in May 2018. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,550, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,080.
School Counselor Salary In DC Overview
You’ve got a lot to consider when you’re looking for a new job, and one of the most important things to think about is salary. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the top-paying jobs in Washington DC—so you can make sure you get what you deserve!
The average school counselor salary in Washington DC is $55,000 per year. That’s more than twice the national average! But if you want to know how much YOU should be paid, we can help with that too.
How much do school counselors earn in Washington DC?
The average school counselor salary in Washington DC is $55,000 per year. This makes it one of the best-paying careers in the country. The median annual wage for school counselors is around $56K per year. The highest paid 10% of school counselors make over $76K annually on average; while the lowest paid 10% earn under $42K annually on average.
School counselors’ salaries vary based on several factors including location (urban vs rural), industry (public vs private), and experience level (entry level vs experienced). For example, the more years of experience you have as a school counselor will typically result in higher wages than someone just starting out with their first job after.
What is A School Counselor
Also known as guidance counselors, school counselors help students achieve the academic and social skills that they need to succeed in school and in life. They guide students through maintaining academic standards, setting goals for academic success, and improving their study habits and time management skills. They use assessments to identify students’ interests, strengths, and aptitudes as well.
School counselors also help students work through personal problems that may affect their academics or relationships and help them cope with school or community related violence, accidents, and trauma.
To do this, they often offer individual counselling to help students resolve personal and interpersonal problems and group counselling to help students enhance their listening and social skills and learn how to empathise with others.
Becoming a school counselor requires a bachelor’s degree in psychology, counselling, or social work, but some schools might also prefer a master’s degree. School counselors also need to obtain the relevant certifications from the state where they’re working. They earn an average salary of $5
Average Salary of a DC Counselor
According to Indeed.com, the average salary of a Counselor was $54,000 vs the national salary of $43,000. A Counselor in DC saw a solid number of companies featuring over 935 jobs. The types of jobs posted ranged from Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Temporary, Commission, and Internship while the most common level of experience required for these jobs was Entry Level.
DC Counselor
| Counselor | $54,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers hiring Counselor’s were Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Headfirst Professional Sports Camps, Headfirst Summer Camps, National Children Center, and Deloitte offering Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Temporary, Commission, and Internship with Entry Level, Senior Level, and Mid Level required.
Additional Salaries by Area
In this section explore additional details on the types of Counselors:
- Addiction Counselor
- College Counselor
- Genetic Counselor
- Guidance Counselor
- High School Counselor
- Marriage Counselor
- Mental Health Counselor
- Rehabilitation Counselor
- School Counselor
- Substance Abuse Counselor
Addiction Counselor
| Addiction Counselor | $51,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Addiction Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Addiction Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were Phoenix House, Virginia Hospital Center, Pathways To Housing Dc Dsc, FEFA, LLC, and SOME, Inc. offering Full-time, Contract, Part-time, and Temporary with Entry Level and Mid Level required.
College Counselor
| College Counselor | $74,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average College Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average College Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were ESF Camps, Gold’s Gym, The SEED School of Washington, D.C., American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and SEED Public Charter School of Washington, DC offering Full-time, Part-time, Contract, and Commission with Entry Level, Mid Level, and Senior Level required.
Genetic Counselor
| Genetic Counselor | $68,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Genetic Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Genetic Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Mednax, SOME, Inc., Central Intelligence Agency, and American University offering Full-time and Part-time with Entry Level, Mid Level, and Senior Level required.
Guidance Counselor
| Guidance Counselor | $58,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Guidance Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Guidance Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were The ARC of Prince Georges county, Deloitte, ServiceSource Inc., Family Services Inc, and WeightNot offering Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Temporary, and Internship with Entry Level, Mid Level, and Senior Level required.
High School Counselor
| High School Counselor | $42,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average High School Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average High School Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were The ARC of Prince Georges county, Alignstaffing, aLine, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Headfirst Professional Sports Camps offering Full-time, Part-time, Commission, Contract, and Temporary with Mid Level and Entry Level required.
Marriage Counselor
| Marriage Counselor | $76,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Marriage Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Marriage Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were United Planning Organization, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Family Services Inc, Delta-T Group, and Prince George’s Community College offering Full-time and Part-time with Mid Level and Entry Level required.
Mental Health Counselor
| Mental Health Counselor | $52,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Mental Health Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Mental Health Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Cornerstone Montgomery, Inc., Humanim, Family Services Inc, and Pathway Homes, Inc. offering Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Commission, and Temporary with Mid Level, Entry Level, and Senior Level required.
Rehabilitation Counselor
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $55,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Rehabilitation Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Rehabilitation Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were Cornerstone Montgomery, Inc., Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Family Services Inc, Affiliated Sante Group, and ServiceSource Inc. offering Full-time, Part-time, and Contract with Entry Level, Senior Level, and Mid Level required.
School Counselor
| School Counselor | $54,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average School Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average School Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were aLine, Family Services Inc, Fairfax County Public Schools, Headfirst Professional Sports Camps, and Headfirst Summer Camps offering Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Commission, and Temporary with Mid Level, Entry Level, and Senior Level required.
Substance Abuse Counselor
| Substance Abuse Counselor | $52,000 | . | |
| In USD as of January 18, 2017 | 55k | 110k | 165k |
|---|
Average Substance Abuse Counselor salaries for job postings in Washington, DC are 25% higher than average Substance Abuse Counselor salaries for job postings nationwide. The top 5 employers were Cornerstone Montgomery, Inc., Humanim, Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Headfirst Professional Sports Camps, and Headfirst Summer Camps offering Full-time, Part-time, Temporary, Contract, Commission, and Internship with Mid Level, Entry Level, and Senior Level required.
Top Employers of DC Counselors
According to Indeed.com, there were approximately 935 jobs for DC Counselors with most employers looking for Entry Level, Senior Level, and Mid Level candidates.
| Company | # Jobs Available* |
|---|---|
| Headfirst Professional Sports Camps | 62 jobs |
| Headfirst Summer Camps | 62 jobs |
| National Children Center | 60 jobs |
| Deloitte | 52 jobs |
| ESF Camps | 34 jobs |
| The Arc Montgomery County | 16 jobs |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | 15 jobs |
| Alignstaffing | 14 jobs |
| A-Line Staffing Solutions | 14 jobs |
| Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington | 13 jobs |
| The ARC of Prince Georges county | 13 jobs |
| Family Services Inc | 11 jobs |
| Humanim | 11 jobs |
| RadiantBlue Technologies | 10 jobs |
| Volunteers of America Chesapeake | 9 jobs |
