The median annual wage of school and career counselors was $53,380 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The bottom 10 percent earned less than $31,630, and the top 10 percent earned more than $86,250.
In May 2010, the median annual wages in the industries employing the most school and career counselors were as follows:
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | $60,000 |
| Junior colleges; state, local, and private | 51,050 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 44,610 |
| Vocational rehabilitation services | 35,210 |
School and career counselors generally work full time. Some school counselors have summers off when school is not in session.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition