Oregon School Counselor
School counselors in Oregon earn a median salary of approximately $74,000 per year, well above the national median of $65,140. The state projects around 220 job openings annually through 2032. You’ll need a master’s degree in school counseling, supervised fieldwork, and an Oregon license to practice.
Oregon Links
Oregon school counselors work in every corner of the state, from Portland’s large urban districts to rural schools in the Willamette Valley and the high desert. The role covers academic planning, social-emotional support, and college and career readiness, and the need for qualified counselors here is steady.
What School Counselors Do in Oregon
A sophomore comes in to talk about college. She’s the first in her family to consider a four-year degree, and she doesn’t know where to start. By the end of the meeting, shehads a list of Oregon universities with strong nursing programs, a timeline for the FAFSA, and a follow-up appointment already on the calendar. That’s a typical Tuesday.
Oregon school counselors work within comprehensive school counseling programs built around academic support, social-emotional development, and college and career planning. At the elementary level, that might mean running small group sessions on conflict resolution or flagging a third-grader whose behavior has shifted after a disruption at home. At the high school level, it’s course selection, credit audits, scholarship searches, and crisis response, often all in the same week.
The Oregon Department of Education outlines a framework for comprehensive school counseling that emphasizes equity and access for all students, with particular attention to students who have historically faced barriers to academic success. That framework aligns with the ASCA National Model, the profession’s standard for designing and delivering school counseling programs.
The work isn’t easy. Counselors in large districts can carry caseloads of 400 or more students, and the emotional demands are real. But counselors across the state consistently describe it as some of the most meaningful work they’ve done.
Job Outlook in Oregon
Oregon employed approximately 3,330 school and career counselors as of May 2024. Based on state labor market data, Oregon projects around 220 job openings per year through 2032, with employment expected to grow at a rate slightly above the national average over the decade. That’s a steady market with openings spread across urban, suburban, and rural districts.
Demand tends to be stronger in rural and eastern Oregon, where recruiting is more challenging, and some districts may offer incentives to attract candidates based on local staffing needs. Portland-area positions are more competitive given the concentration of counseling program graduates in the metro.
School Counselor Salary in Oregon
Oregon pays its school counselors above the national average. The state median is approximately $74,000 per year (May 2024 BLS data), compared to the national median of $65,140. That gap reflects both the state’s cost of living in some regions and its investment in education staffing.
| Percentile | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,350 |
| 25th | $57,540 |
| Median (50th) | $74,000 |
| 75th | $98,090 |
| 90th | $126,100 |
Salaries vary significantly by metro area. Some metros, such as Bend and Portland, report higher median salaries, though figures vary by dataset and year. Eugene-Springfield and Corvallis run below the state median.
| Metro Area | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $80,490 |
| Salem, OR | $76,200 |
| Bend, OR | $89,470 |
| Medford, OR | $78,540 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $58,040 |
| Corvallis, OR | $58,790 |
- Above-average pay — Oregon’s median salary of approximately $74,000 runs nearly $9,000 above the national median.
- Steady job market — The state projects around 220 annual openings through 2032, with consistent demand across urban and rural districts.
- Broad scope of practice — Counselors support students academically, socially, and in college and career planning at every grade level.
- Metro variation — Bend and Portland report the highest median salaries. Eugene-Springfield and Corvallis are closer to $58,000–$59,000.
Ready to explore your path to becoming an Oregon school counselor?
