# Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/educational-guidance-and-career-counselors-and-advisors
- SOC code: 21-1012.00
- Career family: Community and social service
- Median annual pay: $64,330 (10th percentile $45,020, 90th percentile $104,770)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.9%
- Openings a year: 27,800
- Typical entry education: Master's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SCE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 0 |
| Investigative (I) | 38 |
| Artistic (A) | 36 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 49 |
| Conventional (C) | 52 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 94/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 94/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 93/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 90/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 86/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 85/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 83/100)
- Processing Information (importance 82/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 81/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 78/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Service Orientation, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Learning Strategies

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Therapy and Counseling, Education and Training, Psychology, Administrative, Administration and Management, Sociology and Anthropology, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security

## Also called

Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Adult School Counselor, Advisor, Articulation Officer, Assessment Specialist, Career Advisor, Career Coach, Career Consultant

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Human Resources Management and Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5210) (CIP 5210, 758 colleges)
- [Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4228) (CIP 4228, 729 colleges)
- [Student Counseling and Personnel Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1311) (CIP 1311, 482 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Human Resources Management and Services | $74,192 | $112,713 | $12,000 |
| [Northwestern University-Illinois](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northwestern-university-illinois-1966) | Human Resources Management and Services | $98,392 | $108,498 | not reported |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Human Resources Management and Services | $69,663 | $99,594 | $20,596 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Human Resources Management and Services | $58,393 | $97,126 | $20,000 |
| [Brigham Young University-Provo BYU Utah](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brigham-young-university-provo-byu-utah-302) | Human Resources Management and Services | $66,527 | $96,354 | not reported |
| [Waldorf University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/waldorf-university-3151) | Human Resources Management and Services | $68,676 | $94,822 | $25,747 |
| [University of Richmond](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-richmond-3026) | Human Resources Management and Services | $57,533 | $92,389 | $25,000 |
| [University of St Francis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-st-francis-3054) | Human Resources Management and Services | not reported | $90,495 | $14,553 |

## Related careers

- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay
- [School Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/school-psychologists): $95,990 median pay
- [Instructional Coordinators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/instructional-coordinators): $77,440 median pay
- [Education Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/education-teachers-postsecondary): $75,350 median pay
- [Child, Family, and School Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers): $59,550 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-kindergarten): $65,120 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.