Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

Education and TrainingO*NET 21-1012.00United States

Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $64,369
Projected change: +7.3%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 396.77K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

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.
Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
Refer students to outside counseling services.
Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
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.
Conduct follow-up interviews with counselees to determine if their needs have been met.
Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.
Instruct individuals in career development techniques, such as job search and application strategies, resume writing, and interview skills.
Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees.
Plan and promote career and employment-related programs and events, such as career planning presentations, work experience programs, job fairs, and career workshops.
Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
Plan and conduct orientation programs and group conferences to promote the adjustment of individuals to new life experiences, such as starting college.
Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Provide information for teachers and staff members involved in helping students or graduates identify and pursue employment opportunities.
Collaborate with teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of school programs and in the preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings.
Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $44,682
25th percentile: $51,046
50th percentile: $64,369
75th percentile: $83,336
90th percentile: $106,629

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $64,369 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+7.3%faster than average

2025396,765 jobs

2035 projected425,618 jobs

28,853 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 56.3%
Master's or Professional degree: 41.2%
Associate degree: 2.5%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

School Counseling
Social Work
Student Services
Case Management
Psychology
Mental Health
Human Services
Disabilities
Support Services
Marketing
Academic Advising
Workforce Development
Good Driving Record
Career Counseling
Crisis Intervention
Medical Records
Career Management
Special Education
Rehabilitation
Customer Relationship Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01School Counselors4,464 postings
02Job Coaches2,767 postings
03Employment Specialists2,236 postings
04Admissions Counselors2,234 postings
05Academic Mentors1,532 postings
06Counselors1,527 postings
07Academic Advisors1,305 postings
08Elementary School Counselors1,286 postings
09High School Counselors1,284 postings
10Career Advisors816 postings
11Middle School Counselors795 postings
12Career Coaches780 postings
13Guidance Counselors742 postings
14Career Navigators481 postings
15Job Developers461 postings
16Elementary Counselors446 postings
17Community Support Specialists438 postings
18Career Counselors408 postings
19Academic Counselors391 postings
20Enrollment Counselors355 postings

Top employers

01City Year1,551 postings
02Goodwill979 postings
03Edjoin.Org385 postings
04Herc375 postings
05Soliant Health354 postings
06Compass Health Network308 postings
07Center For Social Dynamics299 postings
08Edwards Lifesciences274 postings
09Community Options238 postings
10Adams And Associates196 postings
11Monarch&Co International184 postings
12State of South Carolina172 postings
13Management & Training Corporation167 postings
14Equus161 postings
15Southern New Hampshire University153 postings
16Educational Data Systems149 postings
17Sedgwick140 postings
18McLaren Health Care135 postings
19Acadia Healthcare133 postings
20Catholic Charities USA133 postings

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