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Counselor Education

A program that prepares individuals to apply the theory and principles of guidance and counseling to the provision of support for the personal, social, educational, and vocational development of students, and the organizing of guidance services within elementary, middle and secondary educational institutions. Includes instruction in legal and professional requirements, therapeutic counselor intervention, vocational counseling, and related sociological and psychological foundations.

Types of Degrees Counselor Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Counselor Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	12
Associate’s Degree	4
Bachelor’s Degree	2
Master’s Degree	11,839
Doctor’s Degree	413

What Counselor Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Counselor Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Counselor Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Counselor Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Counselor Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Counselor Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Counselor Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Counselor Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Athena Software Penelope Case Management	Medical software	—
Google Classroom	Project management software	—
Kuder Navigator	Data base user interface and query software	—
Prezi	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Yahoo! Email	Electronic mail software	—
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC WONDER	Data base user interface and query software	—
Ext JS	Web platform development software	—
ACT WorkKeys	Analytical or scientific software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Oracle Taleo	Human resources software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Counselor Education graduates include:

• Admissions Counselor
• Career Coach
• School Guidance Counselor
• Employment Counselor
• Student Services Coordinator
• Counselor
• Pupil Personnel Worker
• Child Guidance Counselor
• Assessment Specialist
• Life Skills Coach
• Student Services Counselor
• Career Technical Counselor
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Vocational Rehab Counselor)
• Study Abroad Advisor
• Student Success Counselor

What Can You Do With a Counselor Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Counselor Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	5.9%	$87,699	$72,729–$102,669

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Counselor Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	56.3%
Master’s degree	40.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Counselor Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 83.5% of Counselor Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,245	83.5%
Men	2,025	16.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Counselor Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,962	56.7%
Asian	408	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,303	18.8%
Black or African American	1,499	12.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	69	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	34	0.3%
Two or More Races	369	3.0%
Race Unknown	426	3.5%
International Students	200	1.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Counselor Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Counselor Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$52,264
4 years	$54,366
5 years	$60,575

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $60,575 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Counselor Education Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Counselor Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	77	58
Doctoral (Research)	7	6

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Counselor Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Counselor Education graduates earn a median of $54,366 four years after completion — roughly 43% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Student Counseling and Personnel Services	13,714
College Student Counseling and Personnel Services	952
Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other	492

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.