Guidance Counselor
Impact: Direct, Personal
Guidance counselors help students develop academic and social skills, explore career options, and navigate personal challenges. They work in schools, colleges, and other educational settings to support student success and well-being.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented with significant solo work
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Low
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $60,000
- Entry-level
- $45,000
- Senior
- $80,000
- Growth by 2033
- 8%
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Medium
- Typical student debt
- $50,000 - $70,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Counseling Techniques
- Crisis Intervention
- Educational Planning
- Data Analysis
- Record Keeping
Soft skills
- Empathy
- Communication
- Active Listening
- Problem-Solving
- Organization
Technical complexity: Low
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Master's Degree
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 5
- Years to senior
- 10
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- School Counselor
- Lead Counselor
- Director of Student Services
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.5/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- High