A private advisor families hire to guide students through college, boarding school or therapeutic program admissions. BLS does not publish separate figures for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors; it counts them within educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor (SOC 21-1012), whose median pay is $64,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 21-1012
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Independent Educational Consultant in four numbers
- Median pay
- $64,330a year, or $30.93/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $45KTop 10% $105K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.9%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 27,800389,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025389.5K
- Projected 2035400.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 389.5K Projected 2035 400.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's2.5%
- Bachelor's56.3%
- Master's40.7%
- Post-master’s certificate0.5%
Highest education held by educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors Segment Value Associate's 2.5% Bachelor's 56.3% Master's 40.7% Post-master’s certificate 0.5%
Also advertised as: College Admissions Consultant, Private College Counselor, IEC, Educational Planner, Boarding School Consultant.
Pay
How much do Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors make?
Every independent educational consultant in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$64,330
Middle half earn $51,270 to $82,870
- 10th
- $45,020
- 25th
- $51,270
- 75th
- $82,870
- 90th
- $104,770
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $45,020 |
| 25th | $51,270 |
| Median | $64,330 |
| 75th | $82,870 |
| 90th | $104,770 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $64,330
- Median hourly wage
- $30.93/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $71,430
- People employed
- 353,310
Versus all US occupations
At $64,330, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn 26% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,350 a year.
Versus community and social service occupations
Inside the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300, this is 7% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $104,770 or more while the bottom 10% earn $45,020, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 39% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($86,500), but once local prices are taken into account New Mexico leads at $84,458 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $86,500 | $78,125 | 45,140 |
| 2Alaska | $82,900 | $80,989 | 540 |
| 3Washington | $82,670 | $77,252 | 6,610 |
| 4District of Columbia | $80,470 | $73,220 | 1,690 |
| 5Massachusetts | $79,930 | $75,579 | 11,460 |
| 6New Jersey | $77,910 | $71,605 | 8,190 |
| 7New Mexico | $77,880 | $84,458 | 1,780 |
| 8Maryland | $75,820 | $72,238 | 6,600 |
| 9Rhode Island | $75,000 | $73,328 | 1,340 |
| 10Delaware | $74,070 | $74,212 | 1,700 |
Job outlook
Is Independent Educational Consultant a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | +2.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors to change 2.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 11,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 27,800 openings are projected each year, 7.1% of the 389,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Independent Educational Consultant
There is no license for independent educational consulting, so credibility comes from experience and professional standards. Many consultants come from school counseling or college admissions offices. The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) set ethical standards and admit members based on counseling experience, campus visits and references.
University certificate programs in college counseling, such as those offered through UCLA Extension and UC Berkeley Extension, are common entry points for career changers. The American Institute of Certified Educational Planners grants the Certified Educational Planner (CEP) credential to experienced consultants who pass a review and exam. Most consultants start part-time or join an established practice before building their own client base.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors.
- Bachelor's Degree56.3%
- Master's Degree40.7%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree2.5%
- Post-Master's Certificate0.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 56.3% |
| Master's Degree | 40.7% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 2.5% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Independent Educational Consultant do?
Independent educational consultants work directly for families rather than for a school. Most focus on college admissions: building a balanced list of schools, planning coursework and testing, helping students brainstorm and revise essays, and preparing them for interviews. Others specialize in boarding and day school placement, graduate school applications, students with learning differences, or therapeutic schools and wilderness programs for struggling teens.
Because their advice is only as good as their knowledge of schools, consultants spend a large part of their time visiting campuses, meeting admissions officers and tracking changes in testing and financial aid policy. They also manage timelines, keep parents and students on the same page, and help families compare financial aid and merit offers once decisions arrive.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess students' academic records, interests and goals
- Build balanced lists of colleges or schools for each student
- Coach students through brainstorming and revising application essays
- Plan timelines for testing, applications and financial aid forms
- Visit campuses and meet admissions officers to stay current
- Advise families on comparing financial aid and merit offers
- Place students in specialized or therapeutic programs when needed
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Most independent educational consultants run small practices from a home office, meeting students in person or over video. Fall application season brings long days and weekend sessions with seniors. Campus visit trips take consultants on the road several times a year. The work is self-directed and relationship-based, with income tied to the number of families served.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.4
- Speaking4.1
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Monitoring3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.4 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1
- Service Orientation4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Persuasion3.6
- Instructing3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Negotiation3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
| Instructing | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Negotiation | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Independent Educational Consultant?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEC) built on O*NET's Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Independent Educational Consultant |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Social7.0
- Enterprising4.7
- Conventional4.6
- Investigative3.3
- Artistic3.1
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Independent Educational Consultant
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor
$64,330median a year
Most earn $45K to $105K
+2.9%Master's - Community and Social Service
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Community and Social Service
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Independent Educational Consultant$64,330
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Independent Educational Consultant | $64,330 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Independent Educational Consultant appears on
Questions
Independent Educational Consultant: frequently asked questions
How much do Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors. It counts them within educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor, whose median pay is $64,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $51,270 and $82,870, and the top 10% earn $104,770 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Independent Educational Consultant?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 56.3% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Independent Educational Consultant a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.9% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 27,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Independent Educational Consultant do?
Independent educational consultants work directly for families rather than for a school. A typical task: assess students' academic records, interests and goals. Employers most often ask for Data base reporting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors the most?
The highest state medians for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors are California ($86,500), Alaska ($82,900), Washington ($82,670) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, New Mexico moves to the top at $84,458.
What personality type suits an Independent Educational Consultant?
O*NET scores Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors highest on the Social, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.