A coach helping people improve their relationship with money — working through budgets, debt, savings, and the behavioral patterns that drive financial stress. Often works in nonprofit, employer wellness, or fintech wellbeing settings, with an educational and supportive rather than transactional orientation.
Most days tend to involve one-on-one client conversations, follow-up work between sessions, and the curriculum or program work that supports an organization's financial wellness offering. You'll often help clients build budgets, prioritize debt payoff, set savings goals, and navigate moments of acute financial stress. The rhythm depends on whether the role is appointment-based or program-based.
The variance between settings is real — nonprofit credit counseling agencies focus on debt management plans and bankruptcy alternatives; military or employer programs serve workers facing financial stress; fintech wellness platforms blend coaching with software. Compensation tends to be modest compared with advisory or planning roles. The credentialing layer (AFC, CFE, NFEC) helps establish credibility.
People who tend to thrive here are empathetic listeners, comfortable with money talk that gets emotional, and patient with the slow arc of behavior change. Mission orientation matters more than maximum earnings. The work tends to offer meaningful direct impact, with the trade-off being modest pay and the emotional weight of working with people in financial distress — for those motivated by changing someone's financial trajectory at the foundational level, the work carries real purpose.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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.
A coach helping people improve their relationship with money — working through budgets, debt, savings, and the behavioral patterns that drive financial stress. Often works in nonprofit, employer wellness, or fintech wellbeing settings, with an educational and supportive rather than transactional orientation.
Median pay for a Financial Health Counselor is about $50K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $39K to $78K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Writing.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.3% through 2034, with roughly 28,110 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Financial Director, Junior Financial Health Counselor, and Senior Financial Health Counselor.
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