Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Also called: Educational and Career Counselors
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Also called: Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Adult School Counselor, Advisor, Articulation Officer
Median pay
$64,330
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$45,020 – $104,770
People employed
353,310
Holland code
SCE
Social · Conventional · Enterprising
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 3.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 4.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 5.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 6.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
The hard parts
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
- Tight deadlines are common
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary in every state →
What educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors do
- 01Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- 02Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- 03Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- 04Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- 05Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- 06Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Psychology
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Instructional Coordinators93% · +20%
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary88% · +17%
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary84% · +63%
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School84% · +15%
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors82% · −4%
Change into educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Clergy88% · $60,810
- Instructional Coordinators85% · $77,440
- Training and Development Specialists85% · $69,280
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education84% · $52,100
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary83% · $77,570
Majors that lead here
- Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
- College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other
- School Psychology
- Executive/Career Coaching
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.