Occupation · SOC 21-1012
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Median wage
$65,140
$43,580–$105,870
Projected growth
+3.5%
Average growth
Annual openings
1,330
per year
Employed (US)
342,350
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
447 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingService OrientationReading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingLearning Strategies
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageTherapy and CounselingEducation and TrainingPsychology
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareDevelopment environment softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareMedical software
Representative tasks
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.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.Conduct follow-up interviews with counselees to determine if their needs have been met.Instruct individuals in career development techniques, such as job search and application strategies, resume writing, and interview skills.Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.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.Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.Establish and enforce administration policies and rules governing student behavior.Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.Interview clients to obtain information about employment history, educational background, and career goals, and to identify barriers to employment.Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.Establish contacts with employers to create internship and employment opportunities for students.Establish and supervise peer-counseling and peer-tutoring programs.Observe students during classroom and play activities to evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Student records and documentation — maintain accurately under supervisor review, applying district policies and applicable legal requirements in a school or academic setting.Course selection and scheduling inquiries — respond to with structured guidance using established protocols under direct supervision in a secondary or post-secondary counseling office.Crisis intervention procedures — recognize warning signs and follow established response protocols under the direction of a licensed senior counselor in a school environment.Personal and social problem-solving conversations — conduct initial intake sessions with students under close mentorship, applying foundational counseling techniques learned in graduate training.Transcript review checklists — apply consistently to verify graduation and college entrance requirements for assigned student caseloads with supervisor oversight.Referral pathways to outside counseling services — identify and initiate with guidance from a supervising counselor when student needs exceed in-house scope.Career interest inventories and educational assessments — administer and score accurately using approved analytical software tools under structured supervision.Degree program information — compile and present to students based on assessed interests and aptitudes using prepared resources in a counseling appointment setting.Active listening and empathic communication — demonstrate in individual student sessions to build rapport while following structured intake frameworks provided by the department.Counseling case notes and session records — draft in compliance with administrative regulations using department-approved database software under quality-review by a supervising counselor.
developing
Student records and compliance documentation — manage independently across a full assigned caseload, ensuring accuracy and adherence to FERPA and district policy in a K–12 or college advising environment.Educational counseling sessions — conduct routinely for course selection, class registration, and study habit development with reduced oversight, adapting approaches for diverse student populations.Crisis intervention responses — execute with confidence in acute school situations, applying evidence-based de-escalation techniques and coordinating with school psychologists and administrators.Group counseling sessions — facilitate for students addressing personal, social, or behavioral challenges that affect academic or vocational progress in a school or community college setting.Graduation and college entrance audits — complete independently, identifying deficiencies and drafting personalized letters of recommendation that reflect each student's academic narrative.Referral coordination — manage effectively by matching student needs to appropriate external mental health and social service providers and tracking follow-through via CRM software.Career planning conversations — lead using structured frameworks and labor market data to help students explore viable educational pathways aligned with their assessed aptitudes.Learning opportunity presentations — develop and deliver to student groups, encouraging persistence with challenging coursework using presentation software in classroom or workshop settings.Multidisciplinary team collaboration — participate actively in student support meetings, synthesizing counseling observations with input from teachers, administrators, and family members.Assessment data interpretation — analyze results from standardized instruments using analytical software to inform individualized academic and career planning recommendations.
proficient
Comprehensive student records systems — oversee and audit across large, complex caseloads to ensure full legal compliance with district, state, and federal regulations in a diverse institutional environment.Multi-modal counseling interventions — deliver autonomously across individual, group, and family contexts to address the full range of educational, vocational, and behavioral challenges students present.School-wide crisis response — lead as primary counselor during critical incidents, applying advanced intervention models and coordinating mental health resources across the institution.Complex personal and social barriers to learning — assess and address through sustained counseling relationships, integrating psychological frameworks and community resources in high-needs school environments.Individualized graduation and transfer plans — develop and monitor for at-risk or special-population students, resolving non-routine transcript complications and advocating effectively in institutional processes.Strategic referral networks — cultivate and maintain with external mental health, career, and social service agencies to ensure students receive seamless wraparound support beyond the school setting.Data-driven academic advising — execute by synthesizing transcript data, assessment results, and labor market intelligence to guide students toward optimal degree programs and career trajectories.Resilience and perseverance coaching — provide through evidence-based motivational techniques that prepare students for the academic and personal demands of advanced educational transitions.Ethical and culturally responsive practice — apply consistently across all counseling interactions, navigating complex confidentiality, equity, and mandated-reporting obligations in diverse school communities.Professional consultation — provide to colleagues and school staff on student behavioral concerns, counseling best practices, and legislative compliance, drawing on deep domain expertise.
advanced
Institutional counseling program strategy — design and lead at the district or multi-campus level, establishing vision, goals, and accountability systems aligned with student outcomes and organizational priorities.Counseling staff development and supervision — direct through structured mentorship, clinical supervision, and professional learning communities that elevate practitioner competency across the department.Crisis intervention policy and infrastructure — architect and institutionalize, creating evidence-based protocols, training curricula, and rapid-response systems that protect students at organizational scale.Systemic equity and access initiatives — champion by identifying and dismantling structural barriers in course placement, graduation pathways, and post-secondary transitions for underserved student populations.Cross-agency partnership ecosystems — establish and govern with community mental health providers, workforce development agencies, and higher education institutions to expand student support capacity.Data governance and program evaluation — lead by designing metrics frameworks, overseeing CRM and student information systems, and presenting outcome analyses to executive leadership and governing boards.Legislative and policy advocacy — engage in at the state and national level, representing the profession's perspective on counseling ratios, mental health funding, and career education mandates.Comprehensive school counseling model implementation — drive district-wide adoption of ASCA National Model or equivalent framework, aligning resources, staffing, and professional standards to best practices.Workforce and succession planning — execute for the counseling division by forecasting staffing needs, recruiting advanced-degree talent, and designing onboarding systems that accelerate new counselor effectiveness.Thought leadership and scholarship — contribute through conference presentations, published research, and community partnerships that advance the field of educational counseling and influence practice standards.
Also known as
136 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Veterans Contact RepresentativeForeign Student AdvisorCivil Affairs (Army 38A)Religious Program Specialist (Navy RP)AdvisorArmy Reserve Career Counselor (Army Reserve) (Army 79V)Academic CounselorCredentialed Navy Coach Level 2 (Navy 80BB)Enrollment CounselorYeoman (Coast Guard YN)Articulation OfficerForeign Area Officer, Asia-Pacific (Army 48P)Vocational ExaminerFinancial Services SpecialistCareer Specialist (Navy 001622)Career Counselor (Army 79S)Professional Military Education Instructor (Air Force 8T000)Foreign-Student AdviserRecruiting and Retention NCO (Army National Guard of the United States) (Army 79T)Certified Navy Coach Level 5 (Navy 80GG)Career DeveloperCareer CoachPlacement CoordinatorNavy Counselor (Counselor) (Navy NCC)College CounselorSchool Adjustment CounselorLife Skills CoachForeign Area Officer, Sub-Saharan Africa (Army 48J)Vocational EvaluatorAssessment SpecialistStudent Development AdvisorRL - Special Duty - Foreign Area Officer, Qualified (Navy 171)Formal School Instructor (Marine Corps 0951)Navy Counselor (Recruiter) (Navy NCR)Civil Affairs Officer Special Operations (Army 38S)Education And Training Apprentice (Air Force 3F231)Employment Training SpecialistEducation And Training Manager (Air Force 3F200)Vocational AdviserSchool Guidance Counselor