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The national median salary for Credit Counselors is $52,229 per year ($25.11/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,718 and $64,085 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $80,434 per year. There are approximately 27,770 credit counselors employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
32K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
9K
$53,140
Junior Colleges
NAICS 611200
4K
$59,340
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
2K
$51,820
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 541900
2K
$48,090
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
NAICS 5220A1
2K
$54,640
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,090 to $59,340 (23% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.44
$38,355
P25
$21.98
$45,718
P50MEDIAN
$25.11
$52,229
P75
$30.81
$64,085
P90
$38.67
$80,434
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · finance sector
Hot
Openings Rate
6.0%
Quits Rate
1.2%
Finance and Insurance openings surged to 428K (+98K) in March, pushing the openings rate to 6.0% -- the highest in any major sector. Quits ticked up to 1.2%. Demand for finance talent has reaccelerated sharply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average credit counselors salary?
The national median salary for Credit Counselors is $52,229 per year ($25.11/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,718 and $64,085 annually.
How much do top-earning credit counselors make?
The 90th percentile salary for Credit Counselors is $80,434 per year ($38.67/hr). The 75th percentile is $64,085 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for credit counselors?
Entry-level Credit Counselors (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,355 per year ($18.44/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,718 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.