Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeHigh pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $64,330 Median per year · $30.93/hr Most earn $45,020–$104,770

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.
  • Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.
  • Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.
  • Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
  • Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
  • Establish and enforce administration policies and rules governing student behavior.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 27,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Elementary and secondary schools45.1%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools31.6%
  • Junior colleges8.1%
  • Educational support services2.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Some remote workExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This isn't usually a straight-out-of-school job. Most people finish a bachelor's degree, then spend about 1 to 2 years in related student or human services work before becoming a counselor or advisor. From high school, that's often around 5 to 6 years in total.

  1. Bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, education, or a related field

    4 years

    You build core knowledge of how people learn, grow, and make decisions, which is the foundation for guiding students.

  2. Social and Human Service Assistant

    6 months to 1 year

    You help students or clients find resources, track progress, and connect with services, giving you hands-on experience with the daily work of advising.

  3. Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor or Advisor

    Ongoing

    You meet with students to plan courses, set goals, explore careers, and solve problems. Some jobs, such as school counselor posts, may ask for extra training or a state license, so check the requirements in local job ads.

Where it can lead

  1. Rehabilitation Counselor

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    You help people with disabilities plan for work and independent living; this role usually requires a master's degree in counseling or a related field.

  2. Instructional Coordinator

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    You help schools design curriculum, train teachers, and review student outcomes; this role usually requires a master's degree and experience in teaching or education.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology, sociology, or other social science classesThese courses introduce you to how people think and behave, which is the core of guidance work.
  • Join a peer mentoring or tutoring programHelping classmates with schoolwork or goals builds the listening and encouragement skills counselors use every day.
  • Volunteer with a youth or community organizationWorking with kids or families in your community shows you what supporting others looks like in real life.
  • Get a starter job that involves peopleA job at a store, camp, or library builds communication and problem-solving skills that counselors need.
  • Ask your school counselor about their workA short conversation can show you what the job involves day to day and help you plan your classes.

In college

  • Major in psychology, counseling, education, or social workA bachelor's degree in one of these fields is the typical starting point for this career.
  • Take a course on career development or academic advising, if offeredThese classes teach the methods and ethics of guiding students, and they look good on a résumé.
  • Work as a resident advisor, tutor, or peer mentor on campusCampus roles give you supervised experience supporting students, which matches the 1 to 2 years of prior work this career usually needs.
  • Intern in a career center, advising office, or student services officeAn internship lets you see advising up close and build professional contacts.
  • Join a student organization related to education or human servicesClubs in these areas help you build leadership skills and connect with people already in the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Look at job ads for school counselors, academic advisors, and career advisors in your area to see which degrees and certifications they ask for.
  • Get paid or volunteer experience working with people your age, such as tutoring, mentoring, or peer support, since employers value real experience with students.
  • Talk to a school counselor or a college career center advisor about their path. Ask what they wish they had known before starting.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers