Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

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

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work splits time indoors and out; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.6% of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, take-charge and creative.

Related careers

• Health Education Specialists
• Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Healthcare Social Workers
• Social Workers, All Other
• Clergy

Quick questions

How much does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor make?

The median pay is $30.93 per hour — roughly $64,500 a year, with the real range running from about $21.65/hr (10th percentile) to $50.37/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor?

The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

What does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisor actually do all 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.