Mid-Level

Career Technical Counselor

You lead career development programs and services. As a Career Strategist, you're analyzing labor markets, designing career frameworks, and advising clients on long-term professional planning. The role is more strategic than tactical—you're thinking about career architecture, not just resume tweaks.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
S
E
A
C
I
R
Socialhelping, teaching
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Career Technical Counselors
Employment concentration · ~384 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Career Technical Counselor

Career technical counselors often support vocational and technical education programs—helping students in CTE (career and technical education) pathways understand industry options, connect coursework to career outcomes, and navigate credentialing requirements. The work sits at the intersection of academic advising and workforce development.

Understanding specific trades and technical industries is essential. If you're counseling students in healthcare, construction, IT, or manufacturing programs, you need enough industry knowledge to give relevant guidance—knowing which certifications matter, what employers look for, and what realistic career trajectories look like in those fields.

People who thrive tend to have practical, applied orientation and genuinely respect technical career paths. If you can help a student take welding seriously as a profession—understand the income potential, the advancement pathways, and what mastery actually looks like—you're providing something valuable. The work tends to reward people who bridge the gap between the academic world and skilled trades, without looking down at either.

RelationshipsHigh
AchievementAbove avg
Working ConditionsAbove avg
RecognitionModerate
IndependenceModerate
SupportLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Career Technical Counselors (SOC 21-1012.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Career Technical Counselor career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
Explore career tools
✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$44K–$106K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
342K
U.S. Employment
+3.5%
10yr Growth
31K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$65K$63K$60K$57K$55K201920202021202220232024$55K$65K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationWritingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionMonitoringLearning StrategiesActive Learning
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
21-1012.00

Navigate your career with clarity

Truest gives you tools to understand your strengths, explore roles that fit, and plan your next move.

Explore Truest career tools
Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.