Quick answer: North Carolina employs about 9,430 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state education agency and counseling licensure board. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare school and career counseling programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in North Carolina
School counselor certification is issued by state education agencies rather than by a single national body, which makes this one of the more state-bound credentials on the site. The common reference point is a master’s degree from a CACREP-accredited program. Some states additionally require teaching experience or a teaching credential first, and reciprocity between states varies, so the order of steps matters.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state education agency and counseling licensure board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 110 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Earn in North Carolina
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in North Carolina earn a median $57,630 per year, below the national median of $64,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
School and Career Counseling Pay and Employment in North Carolina at a Glance
Metric
North Carolina
National
Source
Median annual wage
$57,630
$64,330
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$40,400
$45,020
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$46,820
$51,270
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$63,460
$82,870
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$74,070
$104,770
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
9,430
353,310
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.84
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
3.5%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How North Carolina Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The North Carolina median of $57,630 sits below the national median of $64,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.84 puts North Carolina below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Counselor and advisor demand tracks school-age population, district staffing levels and the number of colleges and workforce agencies in the area.
All North Carolina Metro Areas With Published Data
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in North Carolina?
The median annual wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in North Carolina is $57,630, below the national median of $64,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $46,820 at the 25th percentile to $63,460 at the 75th.
How many educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors work in North Carolina?
North Carolina holds about 9,430 school or career counselor jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 353,310, and BLS projects about 31,000 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a school or career counselor in North Carolina?
School counselor certification is issued by state education agencies rather than by a single national body, which makes this one of the more state-bound credentials on the site. The common reference point is a master's degree from a CACREP-accredited program. Some states additionally require teaching experience or a teaching credential first, and reciprocity between states varies, so the order of steps matters. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state education agency and counseling licensure board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a CACREP-accredited master's degree online while working in North Carolina?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state education agency and counseling licensure board.
What is the highest-paying area of North Carolina for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Among North Carolina metro areas with published data, Raleigh reports the highest median at $63,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is North Carolina a good state for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
On pay, the state median of $57,630 sits below the national $64,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.84 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
