Credit Counselors

What Credit Counselors Do

Advise and educate individuals or organizations on acquiring and managing debt. May provide guidance in determining the best type of loan and explain loan requirements or restrictions. May help develop debt management plans or student financial aid packages. May advise on credit issues, or provide budget, mortgage, bankruptcy, or student financial aid counseling.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

1.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.6/5
• English Languageimportance 4.1/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.5/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.4/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.3/5
• Psychologyimportance 3.0/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail4.8/5
• Telephone Conversations4.8/5
• Spend Time Sitting4.6/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Frequency of Decision Making4.4/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5

Related Careers

• Personal Financial Advisors
• Loan Officers
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
• Credit Analysts
• Loan Interviewers and Clerks
• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
• Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Writers and Authors98% skill match
• School Psychologists98% skill match
• Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors98% skill match
• Tax Preparers98% skill match
• Correspondence Clerks98% skill match
• Clinical and Counseling Psychologists98% skill match
• Tutors98% skill match
• Customer Service Representatives98% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.5/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.4/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.3/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Empathy
• Sincerity
• Social Orientation
• Cooperation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ConventionalHigh
• SocialMedium
• EnterprisingMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where credit counselors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Johnson City, TN5.28× national avg
2. 2College Station-Bryan, TX4.55× national avg
3. 3Tyler, TX4.40× national avg
4. 4Ann Arbor, MI4.12× national avg
5. 5Las Cruces, NM3.35× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Loan OfficersLateral Move
• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesLateral Move
• Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue AgentsLateral Move
• Writers and AuthorsCareer Change

See the full career path from Credit Counselors →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.