Health & Medicine

School Counselor

Support students' mental health, friendships, and future plans by talking with them, families, and teachers

Open interactive guide

What does a School Counselor do?

School counselors work in elementary, middle, and high schools. They help students handle stress and conflict, pick classes, and plan for life after graduation. They connect families with outside help when life is hard. It suits good listeners who like working with young people.

A day in the life

7:45 AMGreet students at the door and check in with a few
8:30 AMMeet a ninth grader about class choices and credits
10:00 AMRun a small group about handling test stress
12:00 PMTalk with a teacher about a student who seems upset
1:30 PMHelp seniors with college and financial aid forms
3:00 PMCall a parent to share a student's plan

What's great

  • School-year schedule with breaks
  • Help students find a path they feel good about
  • See students grow over the years
  • Work with teachers, families, and community groups

The hard parts

  • Caseloads are large in many schools
  • Extra duties like testing and scheduling
  • Serious concerns must be reported by law
  • Needs a master's degree and state certification

What is a School Counselor's salary and outlook?

$36k – $90k
Salary Range
Master's degree
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $36,000 to $90,000 a year, with a midpoint around $60,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a School Counselor?

A common path is Master's degree in school counseling, plus a state school counselor license. The ladder often runs from Elementary or High School Counselor to Lead School Counselor, then Director of Counseling Services, and Assistant Superintendent for Student Services. Other routes: Teaching license and classroom experience first in some states; Internship in a school during graduate study; Bachelor's in psychology or education before graduate school.

  • Teaching license and classroom experience first in some states
  • Internship in a school during graduate study
  • Bachelor's in psychology or education before graduate school

Career path

Entry level
Elementary or High School Counselor
Mid career
Lead School Counselor
Senior
Director of Counseling Services
Executive
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services

Will AI replace a School Counselor?

How much will AI change this job?

Quite a bit

AI will help with some tasks in this job, while the most important parts stay human.

AI helps with paperwork, but counselors still guide students personally.

School counselors will use AI tools to help sort through college info, schedules, and paperwork faster. This gives them more time to actually talk with and support students. The caring, human side of counseling stays exactly the same.

AI can help with

  • Finding college and scholarship information quickly
  • Organizing student schedules and academic records
  • Drafting basic letters or informational handouts

What stays human

  • Listening to students during tough emotional moments
  • Building trust so students feel safe opening up
  • Making judgment calls about a student's unique needs

Skills to build now

  • Practice active listening with friends and family
  • Join peer mediation or conflict resolution clubs
  • Volunteer to help younger students with homework or advice

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.