Kansas School Counselor
School counselors in Kansas earn a median salary in the high-$50,000 range and support students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The state projects around 200 job openings annually through 2032. You’ll need a master’s degree in school counseling, supervised fieldwork, and Kansas certification to practice.
Kansas Links
Kansas has roughly 2,980 school counselors working across the state, supporting students through everything from college planning to mental health crises. It’s demanding, hands-on work — and the demand for qualified counselors is steady.
What School Counselors Do in Kansas
Kansas school counselors work within programs that typically align with the ASCA National Model‘s three domains: academic development, social-emotional learning, and career readiness. In practice, that means a counselor’s day rarely looks the same twice.
At the elementary level, a counselor might spend a morning running a small-group session for students navigating a difficult transition — a new school, a family change — then shift to coordinating with a teacher whose student has been struggling to stay focused. At the high school level, the work tilts toward college and career planning: helping a first-generation student map out financial aid options, or working with a junior who hasn’t yet connected her interests to a real career path.
The ASCA recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1, a benchmark that’s widely used across districts, though actual staffing varies by district resources. Kansas counselors also play a role in school climate and safety. When students need support beyond what the counselor can provide directly, they connect families to outside services — mental health providers, community organizations, or crisis intervention resources. That referral and coordination function is one of the less visible but most consequential parts of the job.
For more on the path to becoming a Kansas school counselor — including degree requirements, fieldwork hours, and the certification process — the Become page covers each step in detail.
Job Outlook in Kansas
Kansas projects around 200 school counselor job openings per year through 2032, with modest employment growth expected over the decade (roughly 5–10%, depending on the dataset). That’s a consistent pipeline driven by retirements, turnover, and gradual expansion in student support services — not a dramatic surge, but steady enough that qualified candidates generally find opportunities.
Topeka, Wichita, and the Kansas City metro area (which spans the Kansas-Missouri border) employ the largest concentrations of school counselors in the state. Rural districts tend to be harder to staff and sometimes offer additional incentives to attract candidates. The median salary statewide falls in the high-$50,000 range — see the full breakdown below.
School Counselor Salary in Kansas
Kansas school counselors earn a median salary in the high-$50,000 range, which runs somewhat below the national median of $65,140. Geography within the state makes a noticeable difference — counselors in Topeka and the Kansas City metro tend to earn more than those in rural areas.
| Percentile | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $41,680 |
| 25th | $48,860 |
| Median (50th) | $58,430 |
| 75th | $67,640 |
| 90th | $76,700 |
| Metro Area | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Topeka, KS | $63,700 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $60,050 |
| Wichita, KS | $60,040 |
| Kansas nonmetro area | $52,870 |
How One Kansas School Counselor Is Using AI to Inspire Her Students
Hannah Kemble-Mick, a counselor at Indian Hills Elementary School in Topeka Public Schools and a top-five finalist for the National School Counselor of the Year Award, is among a growing number of counselors using AI to rethink career exploration.
Kemble-Mick uses a program called School AI that guides students through career discovery by asking them what problems they want to solve. Based on their answers, the program surfaces careers aligned with their interests — including ones students have never considered. The format keeps students engaged in a way traditional career inventories often don’t. As Kemble-Mick puts it: “I have 100% engagement in here.”
- Steady demand — Kansas projects around 200 school counselor job openings per year through 2032, with modest growth expected over the decade.
- Three-domain work — Kansas counselors support students academically, socially-emotionally, and in career development, often all in the same week.
- Salary varies by location — The statewide median is in the high-$50,000 range, with counselors in Topeka and the Kansas City metro earning closer to $60,000–$64,000.
- Master’s degree required — Kansas certification requires a graduate degree, supervised fieldwork, and a passing score on the Praxis School Counselor exam (5422).
Ready to explore your path to becoming a Kansas school counselor?
