Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| District of Columbia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $80,470 | $67,290 | +20% |
| Median hourly wage | $38.69 | $32.35 | +20% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $73,221.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a School Counselor in District of Columbia is $80,470, or about $38.69 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for School Counselors is $67,290. District of Columbia is +20% above the national median.
Entry-level school counselors in District of Columbia typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 1,690 school counselor jobs on record and a median salary of $80,470, District of Columbia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, school counselors rank 238 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 49% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Health Education Specialists at $103,330, Social Workers, All Other at $96,380, Healthcare Social Workers at $94,100 — all figures are median annual wages for District of Columbia.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. District of Columbia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 152.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, school counselors rank 238 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 49% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in District of Columbia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Health Education Specialists | $103,330 | $680 |
| Social Workers, All Other | $96,380 | $350 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $94,100 | $420 |
| Counselors, All Other | $93,720 | $90 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $73,550 | $2,430 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $73,310 | $510 |
District of Columbia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 152.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 465 occupations in District of Columbia.