Credit Counselors
SOC 13-2071 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $68,246per year
- Projected openings
- 1,690
- Projected change
- +4.2%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $80,173 | 120 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $77,592 | 90 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $76,676 | 130 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $75,498 | 90 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $67,519 | 150 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $66,123 | 500 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $65,411 | 110 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $65,258 | 60 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $64,467 | 150 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $61,836 | 30 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $48,053
- A quarter earn under
- $56,980
- Half earn under
- $68,246
- Three quarters earn under
- $83,233
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $100,173
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $132,516 | 28,210 | +9.4% |
| Loan Officers | $83,142 | 16,320 | -2.6% |
| Credit Analysts | $99,502 | 2,580 | -9.4% |
| Loan Interviewers and Clerks | $58,656 | 10,410 | -6% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $110,940 | 34,410 | +7.4% |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $65,023 | 28,150 | +5.4% |
Programs that train for this job — 2
Personal Financial Planning Certificate (Hybrid)
UCLA Extension · Los Angeles · $9,240
BankWorks
JVS SoCal · Los Angeles · $5,143