School counsellor salary in Australia
If you are looking for a school counsellor salary, the first thing to know is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not publish a specific figure for this occupation. School counsellors are not listed as a separate category in the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey. However, we can use the available data to give you a sense of where the pay might sit against the national full-time average.
The national full-time average line
This site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026 as its benchmark. The full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings are $2,083.70. Multiply that by 52 weeks and you get about $108,352 a year. That is the line we compare every salary against. For men the full-time average is about $113,412 a year; for women it is about $100,594 a year. These are averages, not medians, and they cover all full-time adults across all industries.
Where school counsellors might fit
School counsellors are professionals who work in education. In the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025), the average weekly total cash earnings for all Professionals is $2,049.60, or about $106,579 a year. That is slightly below the national full-time average. But that figure includes many different professional roles, some of which pay much more than school counselling. The median weekly earnings for all employees (full-time and part-time) is $1,436, or about $74,672 a year. For full-time employees the median is $1,887 a week ($98,124 a year).
Another way to look at it is by industry. School counsellors fall under Education and Training. The ABS reports that non-managerial employees in Education and Training earn an average hourly total cash earnings of $55.30, with average weekly hours paid of 27.4. That hourly rate is above the national minimum wage of $26.44 (from 1 July 2026) but the average weekly pay is lower because many education workers are part-time. For full-time education professionals, the pay is likely higher.
State-by-state differences
School counsellor salaries can vary by state because education is largely a state responsibility. The full-time average weekly ordinary time earnings by state (from the ABS) give you a sense of the local labour market:
- New South Wales: $2,108.80 a week ($109,658 a year)
- Victoria: $2,041.10 ($106,137)
- Queensland: $2,039.70 ($106,064)
- South Australia: $1,970.20 ($102,450)
- Western Australia: $2,227.40 ($115,825)
- Tasmania: $1,846.30 ($96,008)
- Northern Territory: $1,984.10 ($103,173)
- Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 ($119,090)
School counsellors in the ACT or WA might earn more than those in Tasmania or SA, but these are overall averages, not specific to the role.
Using the line tool
You can Place a salary on the line to see how any figure compares to the national full-time average. The tool shows the yearly salary before tax, then converts it to a weekly amount (based on 52 weeks) and an hourly rate (based on a 38-hour week). It also tells you how far above or below the average line you are.
For example, if a school counsellor earns $85,000 a year, that is about $1,634.62 a week and $43.02 an hour. That is about $23,352 below the national full-time average. If they earn $95,000 a year, it is about $1,826.92 a week and $48.08 an hour, still below the line but closer.
Medians and minimum wage
Remember that averages can be pulled up by high earners. The full-time median weekly earnings are about $1,887 ($98,124 a year), and the all-employees median is about $1,436 ($74,672 a year). These medians give a better sense of the typical worker. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on 38 hours ($52,255 a year). Most school counsellors earn well above the minimum.
Tax considerations
For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; and 45% above $190,000. There is also a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions). A school counsellor earning $85,000 would pay about $17,938 in tax plus Medicare, leaving about $67,062 after tax. That is a rough estimate; individual circumstances vary.
How the figures are set
The ABS collects earnings data twice a year, in May and November. The Average Weekly Earnings release gives the official full-time average. The Employee Earnings and Hours survey is done every two years and gives more detail on occupations and industries. Fair Work sets the national minimum wage and award rates each year. For school counsellors, the specific award or enterprise agreement will determine their pay, not a single national figure.
You can explore more about Job medians and Industry medians on this site to see how different roles compare.
Summary
While there is no single school counsellor salary published by the ABS, the available data suggests that a typical school counsellor earns below the national full-time average of $108,352 a year. Using the Professionals average of about $106,579 a year as a guide, many school counsellors are likely in the $70,000 to $95,000 range, depending on experience, state, and sector. The line tool on this site lets you check any salary against the national average in yearly, weekly, and hourly terms.