Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
SOC code 21-1012 · O*NET-SOC 21-1012.00 · Extensive preparation needed
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$64,330
a year
Hourly
$30.93
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$71,430
$34.34 per hour
Middle 50%
$51,270 – $82,870
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$45,020 – $104,770
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
353,310
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $45,020
- $21.65/hr
- 25th percentile
- $51,270
- $24.65/hr
- Median percentile
- $64,330
- $30.93/hr
- 75th percentile
- $82,870
- $39.84/hr
- 90th percentile
- $104,770
- $50.37/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+4%
Growing faster than average
376,300
jobs in 2024
389,600
projected for 2034
About 13,300 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors do?
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Refer students to outside counseling services.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 56% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Bachelor's Degree56%
- Master's Degree41%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3%
- Post-Master's Certificate1%
Common questions
How much does an educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn?
The national median is $64,330 a year. The full range runs from $45,020 at the 10th percentile to $104,770 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become an educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 4% between 2024 and 2034 — growing faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening4.4/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.8/5
- Learning Strategies3.8/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.1/5
- English Language3.9/5
- Therapy and Counseling3.6/5
- Education and Training3.4/5
- Psychology3.1/5
- Administrative3.1/5
- Administration and Management2.9/5
- Sociology and Anthropology2.8/5
Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.