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What is a career counselor and how to become one
Career counselors play a crucial role in the professional lives of many individuals. They help people find suitable careers based on their education, interests, skills, and passion. A career counselor may work in high schools, colleges, private companies, or as a personal consultant.
People employ the services of career counselors when they approach critical points in their professional lives. They may just be starting out and can't decide a path to take, or they might be interested in switching careers. During the meeting, they may sit with career counselors to discuss goals and passions.
Career counselors may also administer tests and assessments to discover hidden hard and soft skills that an individual may possess. These professionals are particularly helpful to individuals who have just lost their jobs.
To become a career counselor, applicants need a bachelor's and advanced degrees in psychology. They also need to pass the national counselor exam and obtain certification.
What general advice would you give to a Career Counselor?
Shelley Sadin
Associate Dean of Professional and Career Development, Quinnipiac University
It is identifying and analyzing legal and factual issues with an open, thoughtful, and creative mind.
Working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, opponents, and others involved in a case to solve problems.
Being meticulously ethical and professional in all interactions. This includes treating everyone involved in a matter with respect, recognizing, and honoring their different backgrounds and perspectives.
Being self-disciplined, motivated, resilient, courageous, kind, and flexible.
Avg. Salary $44,870
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 10%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%
Asian 3.74%
Black or African American 10.64%
Hispanic or Latino 14.20%
Unknown 3.76%
White 67.03%
Genderfemale 57.57%
male 42.43%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Career Counselor career paths
Key steps to become a career counselor
Explore career counselor education requirements
Start to develop specific career counselor skills
Skills 
Percentages Career Development 11.54% Career Services 6.88% Professional Development 5.57% Career Planning 5.42% Mental Health 5.26% Complete relevant career counselor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New career counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a career counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real career counselor resumes.Research career counselor duties and responsibilities
- Monitor and manage IEP forms and certifications to adhere to program requirements.
- Interpret PSAT results with parents and students through education workshop.
- Coordinate transitioning veterans with community hiring facilities in the areas of their desire location.
- Provide information to individuals on matters pertaining to social security, veterans administration, and uniform service health benefits program.
Prepare your career counselor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your career counselor resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a career counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Career Counselor Resume templates
Build a professional Career Counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Career Counselor resume.
Apply for career counselor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a career counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Career Counselor Job
Are you a Career Counselor?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average career counselor salary
The average Career Counselor salary in the United States is $44,870 per year or $22 per hour. Career counselor salaries range between $33,000 and $60,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do career counselors rate their job?
Career Counselor reviews
Want to be able to do more
Helping people find their own paths, incorporating values and interests. I love it when people identify what they really want and get excited about working towards it.
I'm in private practice so there's always some task that needs doing: bookkeeping, marketing, etc. It's a lot but it's not unbearable.
Helping students (and others) make meaningful connections to careers.
The burocracy and silos in higher education.
Updated January 8, 2025
