Support student academic achievement, social development, and college and career planning. Median salary in Fort Lauderdale: $61K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
School Counselors in Fort Lauderdale earn approximately 2% lower than the US national median for this role — a $1,000 discount on annual base salary. Fort Lauderdale's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 118 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Fort Lauderdale's cost-of-living index (118), the median School Counselor salary buys the equivalent of $51,695 in a US-average-cost city. That's $10,305 less purchasing power than the national median — the higher nominal salary doesn't fully offset local costs.
Florida has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $5,673 per year at this salary level compared to a California School Counselor on the same gross pay. A Fort Lauderdale School Counselor would need to earn $67,255 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $61K by 2030.
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The median School Counselor salary in Fort Lauderdale, FL is $61,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Fort Lauderdale–FL metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level School Counselors in Fort Lauderdale with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $47,000 and $61,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $61,000 to $78,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $78,000 to $98,000 or more.
Fort Lauderdale has a cost of living index of 118 compared to the US national average of 100. Fort Lauderdale's cost of living is above the US average, so the salary figures above reflect local market rates. Crucially, Florida has no state income tax — giving Fort Lauderdale-based School Counselors an immediate 3–5% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Master's in School Counseling; state licensure. 10% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.