What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the U.S. earn more than $64,330 a year — the middle 80% land between $45,020 and $104,770. About 353,310 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$64,330typical pay / year
353,310people in this work
$104,770+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record2
Maintain accurate student records
+Update each student's career record with the latest transcripts, internship notes, and action plan, verify…
Maintain accurate student records
+Update each student's career record with the latest transcripts, internship notes, and action plan, verify contact details and financial aid status, flag missing documents, and run the weekly accuracy check before Friday's advising round.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
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Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.
+Plan and lead an open house recruitment event for prospective students: draft the schedule, assign staff…
Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.
+Plan and lead an open house recruitment event for prospective students: draft the schedule, assign staff roles, create an RSVP spreadsheet, and prepare a two-slide program summary for the admissions table; circulate the plan to the team by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft PowerPointESCOO*NET
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Analysing2
Provide crisis intervention for students
+Assess the student's immediate safety, document the incident and the steps taken, notify the school social…
Provide crisis intervention for students
+Assess the student's immediate safety, document the incident and the steps taken, notify the school social worker and the emergency contact, arrange an urgent counseling slot within 24 hours, and log the intervention in the student's file.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
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Evaluate students' abilities and interests
+Administer the career aptitude battery, score the results, summarise strengths, interests and vocational…
Evaluate students' abilities and interests
+Administer the career aptitude battery, score the results, summarise strengths, interests and vocational matches, draft a one-page plan with recommended next steps and training options, and email it to the student before their follow-up session.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
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Negotiating1
Collaborate with teachers and families on student goals
+Prepare a joint goals memo summarising the student's strengths, target careers, learning supports needed,…
Collaborate with teachers and families on student goals
+Prepare a joint goals memo summarising the student's strengths, target careers, learning supports needed, propose measurable objectives and meeting dates, then send it to the teacher and the parents and request signatures before the term review.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Get approval1
Refer students to outside counseling services.
+Refer a student with escalating anxiety to the campus counseling center and the local community therapist…
Refer students to outside counseling services.
+Refer a student with escalating anxiety to the campus counseling center and the local community therapist network; complete the referral form, attach their academic support plan, and send contact details and next-step instructions to the student and their academic advisor today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work14
Monitor educational developments
+Track policy changes and new program launches from the Department of Education and the state higher education…
Monitor educational developments
+Track policy changes and new program launches from the Department of Education and the state higher education board for the next quarter, flag scholarships or credential pathways that affect low-income clients, and summarise impacts in one-page briefs by the 15th.
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Job market offers
+Scan regional employer postings and apprenticeship announcements for roles hiring in the next six months,…
Job market offers
+Scan regional employer postings and apprenticeship announcements for roles hiring in the next six months, identify three repeat employers and the skills they demand, then prepare a short market brief with suggested training options for upcoming client cohorts by next Tuesday.
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Analyze data to identify factors affecting performance
+Analyze the program and assessment records for the last two years, identify statistical and non‑statistical…
Analyze data to identify factors affecting performance
+Analyze the program and assessment records for the last two years, identify statistical and non‑statistical factors tied to client performance drops, and produce a one‑page summary with recommended interventions and data sources for the team by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Report cases of neglect or abuse
+Prepare a formal report of suspected neglect for the child protection unit: summarise incidents, dates,…
Report cases of neglect or abuse
+Prepare a formal report of suspected neglect for the child protection unit: summarise incidents, dates, witness statements, my observations, and immediate safety recommendations, and deliver it to Safeguarding Lead Maria Gomez and the social worker by 5pm today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Help identify options for future careers
+Review the client’s assessments, interests and local labour market openings, list three realistic career…
Help identify options for future careers
+Review the client’s assessments, interests and local labour market openings, list three realistic career paths with entry steps, credential requirements, likely first‑year salary ranges, and two next actions the client can start this week.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsESCO
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Assist beneficiaries in the development of their curriculum
+Work with the beneficiary to develop a clear curriculum vitae: gather education and experience details,…
Assist beneficiaries in the development of their curriculum
+Work with the beneficiary to develop a clear curriculum vitae: gather education and experience details, convert them into a one‑page CV tailored to health sector entry roles, add a short personal statement, and email the draft to beneficiary for review tomorrow morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO
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Make suggestions for lifelong learning including study recommendations
+Assess the client’s skill gaps and learning history, recommend a lifelong learning plan with three course…
Make suggestions for lifelong learning including study recommendations
+Assess the client’s skill gaps and learning history, recommend a lifelong learning plan with three course suggestions, expected duration and funding routes, and schedule a follow‑up coaching session in four weeks.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCO
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Assist the individual in the search for a job
+Support the individual’s job search by compiling five matched vacancies with application deadlines, tailoring…
Assist the individual in the search for a job
+Support the individual’s job search by compiling five matched vacancies with application deadlines, tailoring their cover letter to each role, preparing an interview brief for the top two, and send the applications before Friday noon.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsESCO
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Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
+Review Maria Lopez's academic transcript and test scores, confirm she meets our district graduation…
Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
+Review Maria Lopez's academic transcript and test scores, confirm she meets our district graduation requirements and the UMass Amherst freshman admission benchmarks, note any missing credits or electives, then draft a two-page recommendation highlighting her leadership and work-study performance for her college application.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.
+Screen the file of referred candidates and identify three that match the hiring criteria from Acme…
Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.
+Screen the file of referred candidates and identify three that match the hiring criteria from Acme Manufacturing and the state employment service, prepare referral packets with resumes, work-study evaluations, and contact details, then email the packets to Jaime at Acme and to Sara at the employment service with next-step instructions.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees.
+Block time and register me for the regional college-access conference on Thursday, add the department meeting…
Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees.
+Block time and register me for the regional college-access conference on Thursday, add the department meeting and the counselor training workshop to the shared calendar, prepare a one-page briefing on our current outreach metrics and committee obligations so I can present at Friday's curriculum committee.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
+Assess Jamal's accommodation plan, order the recommended screen reader and noise-reduction headphones,…
Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
+Assess Jamal's accommodation plan, order the recommended screen reader and noise-reduction headphones, schedule a mobility-access audit of building A restrooms with facilities next Tuesday, and document the assistive technology issued and training provided to him.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.
+Draft the internship supervisor schedule, assign weekly supervision slots to two new counselors and the…
Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.
+Draft the internship supervisor schedule, assign weekly supervision slots to two new counselors and the practicum student, prepare a one-page onboarding checklist and training timeline, and circulate both to staff before Monday so supervisors know expectations and evaluation deadlines.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
+Plan and promote a Career Club kickoff for next Thursday: reserve the student lounge, draft the flyer and…
Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
+Plan and promote a Career Club kickoff for next Thursday: reserve the student lounge, draft the flyer and agenda highlighting mock interviews and an industry speaker, recruit two senior volunteers, and post sign-up info to the student activities board and counselor newsletter.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses