Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary: $65,140 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 342,350 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors work nationally, and $65,140 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 7% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.6% annual growth.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: what the data shows
Common questions about educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 21-1012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 342,350 workers.
What does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Assisting and Caring for Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make?
BLS national median annual wage: $65,140 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $99,061 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $52,232 |
| 25th percentile | $68,307 |
| Median (50th) | $96,883 |
| 75th percentile | $125,480 |
| 90th percentile | $153,347 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and knowledge areas including Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Education and Training, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 13.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 29.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 342,350.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 611,040 | 23.9% |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 344,990 | 13.5% |
| Cross-industry | 342,350 | 13.4% |
| Educational Services | 305,520 | 12.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 239,650 | 9.4% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 175,880 | 6.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Social Workers, All Other | 64,940 | $69,480 |
| Credit Counselors | 28,110 | $50,480 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 104,450 | $63,910 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,737,820 | $46,290 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors workforce.
Employment Over Time
342,350 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors grew from 116,960 in 2009 to 175,960 in 2025 (50.4%).
Historical employment for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$65,140 Median pay (BLS national)
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn $65,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Salary distribution for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Employment Growth Projections
2.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
199,914 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 13.6%
227,129 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 29.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Wage Trends by Industry
17.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 44,160 employees, $96,440 avg wage
- TX: 32,350 employees, $65,140 avg wage
- NY: 22,660 employees, $77,720 avg wage
- FL: 21,080 employees, $59,820 avg wage
- OH: 13,030 employees, $68,730 avg wage
- IL: 12,790 employees, $69,870 avg wage
- MA: 11,850 employees, $82,910 avg wage
- PA: 11,500 employees, $67,540 avg wage
- GA: 10,890 employees, $70,130 avg wage
- NC: 9,630 employees, $56,920 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 18,980 employees, $84,800 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 16,150 employees, $93,560 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 9,210 employees, $73,930 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 8,720 employees, $68,300 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 8,430 employees, $83,640 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 7,250 employees, $81,130 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 6,550 employees, $69,320 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 6,420 employees, $72,250 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 6,060 employees, $75,490 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 5,990 employees, $61,630 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Diversity
Demographic information on Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors is about 342,350 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in 2023 were Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology.
Common majors for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors workers.
Education level distribution for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Skills
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors include Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Education and Training, English Language, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
Daily Activities
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors.
About
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn $65,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
21-1012 - Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors reports an average salary of $99,061.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 342,350 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.