Also called: Guidance counselor, High school counselor
Helps students with academics, college and career plans, and personal or emotional challenges.
School counselors build class schedules, meet with a student who's struggling at home, run lessons on bullying or study skills, write college recommendations, and help seniors with applications. Many have caseloads of 400+ students.
BLS educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's in school counseling and a state school counselor license; some states require teaching experience.
Ways in: Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Psychology, Counseling, Education.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projects ~4% growth.
Low risk for 10 years. AI chatbots can answer schedule and college-deadline questions; talking through a crisis and writing recommendations stay human.
Classes: AP Psychology, Sociology, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 21-1012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.