Education
School Counselor
School counselors help students navigate academics, college and career planning, and personal challenges. People-centered work with strong meaning and stability.
Median salary (BLS)
$61,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$45k – $90k
Job outlook
+5% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to School Counselor
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Master's in school counseling plus state certification.
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior School Counselor
Entry / Junior
$45,000
~2 yrs to advance
School Counselor
Established
$61,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior School Counselor
Senior
$75,500
Key skills
A typical day
- •Meet with students
- •Guide course and college planning
- •Support wellbeing
Fields of study
Counseling · Psychology · Education
Top colleges for Education
Explore all- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
- University of Wisconsin–Madison49% admit · $72,000 grad pay
- Vanderbilt University7% admit · $88,000 grad pay
- University of Virginia19% admit · $85,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.