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Credit Counselor

$52,230
median / year
$38,350 – $80,440
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Advise clients on budgeting, debt, and credit, and help them build plans to repay what they owe.

You may also see this posted as: Certified Consumer Credit and Housing Counselor, Certified Credit Counselor, Housing Counselor, Accredited Financial Counselor, Certified Credit and Housing Counselor, Certified Credit Consultant.

Where you work

Offices, phone, or remote

The hours

Full time, regular hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
  • Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies.
  • Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals.
  • Prioritize client debt repayment to avoid dire consequences, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure or to reduce overall costs, such as by paying high-interest or short-term loans first.
  • Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityAttention to DetailIntegrityEmpathy

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Access

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$52,230
per year
Hourly median
$25.11
per hour
What most earn
$38,350–$80,440
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~2,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3.3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
27,770
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 1.4% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's plus on-the-job training.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No state license; voluntary certifications in credit counseling can help.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Personal financeListeningMathPatience

The honest take

Helps people manage debt and build budgets, often at nonprofits or financial firms.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-2071. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.