Community & Social Service
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Also called: Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Career Counselor
US median pay
$64,330
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.9%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
27,800
389,500 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
What they do 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.
- 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.
- Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
- Evaluate students' or individuals' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics, using tests, records, interviews, or professional sources.
- Provide students with information on topics such as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.1/5
- Service Orientation4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Instructing3.6/5
- Coordination3.6/5
- Negotiation3.4/5
Knowledge
- 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
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree56%
- Master's degree41%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.