Salary comparison
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: Bakersfield vs Odessa
Odessa, TX pays about 4.2% more for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors on paper — $101,810 vs $97,700. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Odessa comes out ahead by $4,110 a year in real buying power.
Bakersfield, CA
$97,700
$73,810
$117,800
$46.97
100
$97,700/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Odessa, TX
$101,810
$64,900
$101,810
$48.95
100
$101,810/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,110 a year (4.2%) in favor of Odessa. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bakersfield runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Odessa sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Odessa is the better deal by $4,110 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bakersfield to Odessa for this role, the raise needs to beat 4.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn more, Bakersfield or Odessa?
Odessa pays $101,810 on median — about 4.2% more than Bakersfield ($97,700). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Odessa. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Odessa gives you roughly$101,810 of real buying power versus $97,700 in the other city.