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School Counsellor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a school counsellor is $112,000 per annum, before tax, up $23,200 since 2018.
- Pay follows the school sector and the state or territory agreement, so a counsellor in a government school and one in an independent school with the same qualifications can sit on different scales.
- Where the role requires psychologist registration, the psychology classification usually lifts the salary, and experienced counsellors who take on a head of wellbeing or year level coordination role often receive an allowance on top.
- Part-time work is common, so the advertised full-time figures can be higher than what many counsellors actually take home.
The median salary rose by $23,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than school counsellor
The largest typical pay rise is $8,700 a year, moving into Secondary School Teacher.
- Secondary School Teacher+$8,700/yr
- Psychologist+$2,600/yr
- Social Worker+$900/yr
How to negotiate a higher school counsellor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time school counsellor salary is $112,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Counselling and support work and Pastoral care and wellbeing tend to command a premium over general school counsellor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Secondary School Teacher pays a typical $8,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
School Counsellor salary questions
How much do school counsellors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a school counsellor is $112,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is school counsellor pay rising or falling?
The median school counsellor salary is up $23,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than school counsellor?
Secondary School Teacher pays a typical $8,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to school counsellor.
Related salaries
- Psychologist salary
- Educational Psychologist salary
- Curriculum Coordinator salary
- Social Worker salary
- Secondary School Teacher salary
- Primary School Teacher salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.