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Career Advisor, (Career / College / Employment / Guidance / School / University) Counsellor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Educational counsellors include school guidance counsellors and university and college counsellors. School guidance counsellors work in elementary, junior, and senior high schools while university and college counsellors work in post-secondary schools and technical institutes.
Educational counsellors work with individual students and student groups. In general, they:
School guidance counsellors also help students choose programs and courses to fit their goals and schedule classes. They may have teaching duties, as well. They may advocate for individual students or student groups. They also may create programs to support student development.
Counsellors in secondary and post-secondary schools may supervise work experience programs for students.
Educational counsellors work closely with various other professionals. School guidance counsellors work with teachers, speech therapists, school psychologists, social workers, and public health nurses. University and college counsellors work with instructors and personnel from the registrar’s office, work experience programs, and placement services.
Educational counsellors usually work standard school or office hours. However, they often spend time during evenings and weekends supervising extracurricular activities, attending meetings, and advocating for students. Counsellors may spend extra hours developing workshops or other programs, and planning for meetings with students, parents, or other professionals. They tend to work in offices and classrooms. The work can be emotionally demanding and stressful, especially when caseloads are high.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in mentoring in order to counsel students on personal and social issues such as substance abuse, depression, sexuality, eating disorders, anxiety, self-esteem, family problems, relationship and interpersonal skills, and anger management; and in crisis situations such as dealing with the death of a friend or family member, suicidal tendencies and abuse situations
Interest in co-ordinating information to provide counselling and information services to students, parents, teachers, faculty and staff on matters related to student orientation, career or vocational issues, professional development, co-op and school-to-work transition programs, and interaction with other educational institutions
Interest in administering and interpreting standardized intelligence, personality, vocational, aptitude and interest tests, and in supervising peer counselling programs in school settings; may supervise field experience for graduate students in counselling; may teach regular classes
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Educational counsellors need:
They should enjoy counselling students, co-ordinating information, and developing innovative approaches to problems. They should be comfortable administering and interpreting standardized tests.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 33 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 04, 2021 and Mar 19, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Counsel students regarding educational, career or vocational issues | 25 |
|---|---|
| Construction Specialization: Organized | 24 |
| Tasks: Refer students to other specialized services when required | 24 |
| Attention to detail | 23 |
| Construction Specialization: Effective interpersonal skills | 21 |
| Tasks: Counsel students regarding personal and social issues | 21 |
| Tasks: Co-ordinate the provision of counselling and information services to students, parents and teachers | 20 |
| Construction Specialization: Client focus | 19 |
| Work under pressure | 19 |
| Construction Specialization: Initiative | 17 |
Educational counsellors need a master’s degree in educational psychology, applied psychology, or counselling.
Educational counsellors who have a master’s degree with related courses may become registered psychologists. For more information, see the Psychologist occupational profile. Career advisors who work in educational settings do not require a related master’s degree. For more information, see the Career Development Professional occupational profile.
The following schools offer programs and courses that meet this occupation’s educational requirements. Other eligible programs and courses may be available.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Educational counsellors work for:
Opportunities to advance to administrative positions vary. Factors include the size and nature of the employing organization and the counsellor’s qualifications.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Educational counsellors
2016 NOC: 4033
89.5% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries for educational counsellors vary. Factors include the size and type of employing organization and the counsellor’s qualifications.
Counsellors with teaching certificates are paid according to the same salary grid as primary and secondary school teachers in their school jurisdictions. For more information see, the Elementary School Teacher and Secondary School Teacher occupational profiles.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $17.00 | $53.33 | $29.95 | $30.16 |
| Overall | $18.00 | $64.71 | $36.07 | $35.71 |
| Top | $24.95 | $80.00 | $43.16 | $40.01 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $63,020 |
|---|---|
| Educational Services | $58,744 |
Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) website: www.teachers.ab.ca
The Guidance Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association website: www.guidancecouncil.ca
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) website: www.ccpa-accp.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2020. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
