Career Overview
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Also Known As
- Academic Advisor
- Career Counselor
- Guidance Counselor
- School Counselor
Alternate Job Titles
- Academic Advisor
- Academic Counselor
- Admissions Counselor
- Adult School Counselor
- Advisor
- Articulation Officer
- Assessment Specialist
- Career Advisor
- Career Coach
- Career Consultant
- Career Coordinator
- Career Counselor
- Career Developer
- Career Development Consultant
- Career Development Counselor
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
- Refer students to outside counseling services.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Therapy and Counseling
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Fluency of Ideas
- Speech Recognition
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Optimism
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Photoshop
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft SharePoint
Tools & Equipment
- Audio recorders
- Desktop computers
- Digital video disk DVD players
- Laptop computers
- Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
- Overhead display projectors
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Photocopying equipment
- Projection equipment
- Video cassette recorders VCR
- Video recorders
- Videoconferencing equipment
- Yahoo! Messenger
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $43,580 |
| Median | $65,140 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $105,870 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 342,350
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Rehabilitation Counselors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $46,110
School Psychologists
Education: Post-Master's Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.
Median Salary: $86,930
Instructional Coordinators
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $74,720
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $72,090
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $58,570
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.