Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
SOC Code: 21-1012
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors carries a 41% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $65,140 and +3.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 376,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
AI Exposure vs Industry Growth
Total occupations tracked
832
Covering all SOC major groups
Data currency
2024
BLS Employment Projections
AI exposure avg
40%
Fleet-wide median across all roles
Composite score weighing O*NET task data completeness, BLS projection methodology, and cross-validation with employer risk grades.
Employment Projections
Occupation Insight
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (SOC 21-1012) carries an AI exposure score of 41%, placing it in the High automation-risk tier. This score is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each task an occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The economic context matters alongside the risk score. BLS counted approximately 376,300 workers in this occupation in 2024, and projects a +3.5% change through 2034 — modest growth that keeps the occupation viable even as tasks evolve. Median annual compensation stands at $65,140, reflecting both skill scarcity and the value employers place on the tasks that remain difficult to automate. Entry typically requires Master's degree, plus None of related experience.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure. Pair the AI exposure score with the BLS employment projection and wage percentiles above for a complete career assessment.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- 2. Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- 3. Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- 4. Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- 5. Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- 6. Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- 7. Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- 8. Refer students to outside counseling services.
- 9. Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
- 10. Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Computers and Electronics
- Public Safety and Security
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors has an AI exposure score of 41%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors is projected to grow by 3.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 376,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Key skills for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, and others. Typical entry-level education is Master's degree.
How much do Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn?
The median annual wage for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors is $65,140, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
The typical entry-level education for Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors is Master's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Related Occupations
Career Guides
Explore More on PlainWorkforce
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).