What Is a Career Counselor?

Career counselors work with people seeking career advice. Learn more about jobs in career counseling, how much it pays, and how much training is required.

January 17, 2025 · 9 min · 1779 words · Jon Wiley

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Career Counselor?Job DutiesImportant SkillsWork EnvironmentsWagesEducational RequirementsCareer Counselors vs. Life CoachesJob Outlook

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is a Career Counselor?

Job Duties

Important Skills

Work Environments

Wages

Educational Requirements

Career Counselors vs. Life Coaches

Job Outlook

Close

A career counselor is a professional who helps people choose a career and achieve their vocational goals. Counselors help clients enter the workforce, change careers, and look for employment opportunities. People who work in this field are employed in settings including schools, government agencies, private businesses, and community agencies.

At a GlanceCareer counselors can help people who are struggling to choose a career or who are interested in transitioning to a new profession. Career counseling can involve administering assessments, helping people search for work, and assisting with educational and professional plans. Career counselors often work in high schools and colleges, but they can also be employed in government and vocational settings. In most cases, career counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree in counseling.

At a Glance

Career counselors can help people who are struggling to choose a career or who are interested in transitioning to a new profession. Career counseling can involve administering assessments, helping people search for work, and assisting with educational and professional plans. Career counselors often work in high schools and colleges, but they can also be employed in government and vocational settings. In most cases, career counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree in counseling.

Career counselors work with people with questions about careers and educational paths. If you’re a job seeker, working with a career counselor can help you make the most of the planning and decision-making process and find a job path that’s perfect for your needs.

Choosing a career can be a real challenge. How do you know what type of jobs are right for you? Is a particular profession suited to your personality, interests, and goals? High school students, college graduates, and adults interested in a career change have to face these difficult questions, and this is where a career counselor can help.

Career Counselor Job Duties

Career counselors perform a range of duties. Depending on where they work and with whom, they might:

Recap

Important Skills for Career Counselors

There are a number of different skills and abilities that might make a person well-suited to work as a career counselor. People who enjoy helping others, for example, might excel in this profession. Some other skills that might help include:

Analytical Skills

Career counselors use a variety of tools, such as interest inventories and personality tests. Being able to analyze the results of these assessments is an essential part of being a successful career counselor.

Compassion and Empathy

People who are in need of career counseling may be experiencing stress and anxiety related to indecision or changes in their lives. Counselors should be understanding andcompassionateas they help people develop their career goals.

Strong Listening Skills

In order to get an idea about what a client needs and wants, it is essential to listen. Interviewing people about their preferences, needs, and experiences is an important part of career counseling.

Speaking Skills

It’s also important to be able to talk to clients to help them better understand their options. Having good communication skills is important. This includesactive listening, to understand what people are trying to communicate, as well as solid writing and speaking skills.

Where Do Career Counselors Work?

Career counselors may work in a variety of areas. Usually, the client population that they work with will varies based on the setting.

Educational Settings

Educational settings such as high schools and colleges, government agencies, and private practices are just a few of the major areas of employment for people working in this field.

Some counselors work in high schools and help students make college and career choices. Others work in higher-education settings and counsel university students who need help picking a major and deciding what they want to do when they graduate.

Adult Workforce Settings

Other career counselors specialize in working with adults who are already a part of the workforce. These individuals might seek out the assistance of a career counselor because they are considering a career change, want to find ways to advance in their current careers, or need assistance finding new work after being laid off.

Vocational Settings

Teaching basic job skills, connecting clients with resources in the community, and communicating with potential employers are just a few of the tasks counselors might perform when working in this area.

Where Career Counselors WorkAccording to theOccupational Outlook Handbook, there were approximately 322,000 jobs in school and career counseling in 2020.They were distributed across several settings:Elementary and secondary schools: 45%Junior colleges, colleges, professional schools, and universities: 35%Healthcare and social assistance agencies: 6%Self-employed: 2%

Where Career Counselors Work

According to theOccupational Outlook Handbook, there were approximately 322,000 jobs in school and career counseling in 2020.They were distributed across several settings:Elementary and secondary schools: 45%Junior colleges, colleges, professional schools, and universities: 35%Healthcare and social assistance agencies: 6%Self-employed: 2%

According to theOccupational Outlook Handbook, there were approximately 322,000 jobs in school and career counseling in 2020.They were distributed across several settings:

How Much Do Career Counselors Make?

The BLS also reports that the lowest-earning professionals in this field earned less than $38,280 per year while the highest-earning made more than $98,530 per year.

How to Become a Career Counselor

There may be some opportunities available to those with a bachelor’s degree, but jobs are more plentiful and pay better with a more advanced degree. Most employers prefer counselors to hold at least amaster’s degree in counselingspecializing in career development.

Career counselors generally do not need to be licensed, although many employers prefer it, and some require it. Those who want to work in private practice usually need to be licensed.

Licensure typically involves completing a master’s program in counseling, performing up to two years of full-time supervised clinical experience, passing a state licensing exam, and pursuing continuing education credits.

Counselors in school settings must have a license or certification to work in the state where they intend to practice.

Benefits of a Psychology Background

In some cases, individuals with abachelor’s degree in psychologycan find entry-level positions in career counseling. Having a background in psychology can be helpful for people who are interested in this field. Psychology topics such as personality, motivation, and goal-setting are highly relevant for career counselors, so understanding these subjects can be beneficial.

While career coaches andlife coachesboth help people make decisions about their future, the scope of the two professions is different. Career coaches are focused on helping people with career choices, whereas life coaches assist people who are encountering a variety of personal life challenges or changes. There may be some overlap between these two, but the focus tends to be different.

Career counselors often help people:

Life coaches, on the other hand, often help people:

Life coaches only need a few months of study togain certificationfrom the International Coach Federation. However, some life coaches may have more than this entry-level training.

RecapLife coaches and career counselors differ in terms of the scope of their duties and their training. Career counselors are focused on vocational issues, whereas life coaches deal with many areas related to a person’s personal life. While training for life coaches often takes just a few months, most career counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree.

Life coaches and career counselors differ in terms of the scope of their duties and their training. Career counselors are focused on vocational issues, whereas life coaches deal with many areas related to a person’s personal life. While training for life coaches often takes just a few months, most career counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree.

Job Outlook for Career Counselors

During economic challenges, a slow job market might also spur the demand for career counseling services.

Regardless of the causes, such trends may help drive a need for the services of trained career counselors.

Starting a Career in Counseling

Takeaway

Career counselors can help people make decisions about their careers. While they help people better understand their skills, interests, and goals, they don’t tell people what job to choose.

These professionals can play an important role at critical points in life, such as when students are nearing graduation or when working adults are thinking about a career transition.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.School and career counselors.Occupational Outlook Handbook.American School Counselor Association.State certification requirements.Pordelan N, Hosseinian S.Online career counseling success: the role of hardiness and psychological capital.Int J Educ Vocat Guid. 2021;21(3):531-549. doi:10.1007/s10775-020-09452-1Aboujaoude E.Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: Toward a less confusing treatment landscape.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):973-977. doi:10.1177/1745691620904962National Career Development Association.Introduction to credentialing.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.School and career counselors.Occupational Outlook Handbook.American School Counselor Association.State certification requirements.Pordelan N, Hosseinian S.Online career counseling success: the role of hardiness and psychological capital.Int J Educ Vocat Guid. 2021;21(3):531-549. doi:10.1007/s10775-020-09452-1Aboujaoude E.Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: Toward a less confusing treatment landscape.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):973-977. doi:10.1177/1745691620904962National Career Development Association.Introduction to credentialing.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.School and career counselors.Occupational Outlook Handbook.American School Counselor Association.State certification requirements.Pordelan N, Hosseinian S.Online career counseling success: the role of hardiness and psychological capital.Int J Educ Vocat Guid. 2021;21(3):531-549. doi:10.1007/s10775-020-09452-1Aboujaoude E.Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: Toward a less confusing treatment landscape.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):973-977. doi:10.1177/1745691620904962National Career Development Association.Introduction to credentialing.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.School and career counselors.Occupational Outlook Handbook.

American School Counselor Association.State certification requirements.

Pordelan N, Hosseinian S.Online career counseling success: the role of hardiness and psychological capital.Int J Educ Vocat Guid. 2021;21(3):531-549. doi:10.1007/s10775-020-09452-1

Aboujaoude E.Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: Toward a less confusing treatment landscape.Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):973-977. doi:10.1177/1745691620904962

National Career Development Association.Introduction to credentialing.

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