Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Iowa | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $56,540 | $67,290 | -16% |
| Median hourly wage | $27.18 | $32.35 | -16% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $64,396.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a School Counselor in Iowa is $56,540, or about $27.18 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for School Counselors is $67,290. Iowa is -16% below the national median.
Entry-level school counselors in Iowa typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 3,690 school counselor jobs on record and a median salary of $56,540, Iowa offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, school counselors rank 378 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 47% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Social Workers, All Other at $91,170, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists at $77,390, Health Education Specialists at $75,750 — all figures are median annual wages for Iowa.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, school counselors rank 378 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 47% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Iowa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Social Workers, All Other | $91,170 | $230 |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $77,390 | $950 |
| Health Education Specialists | $75,750 | $540 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $67,180 | $240 |
| Directors, Religious Activities and Education | $66,140 | $220 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $63,050 | $1,550 |
Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 711 occupations in Iowa.