Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Machines can already do 45% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 60%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 45% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 12% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2030, and 60% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 353,310 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $64,330 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 83% for contact with people.
- Also called: Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Career Counselor.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning | 18% | 72% to 74% | |
| Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations | 8% | 63% to 81% | |
| Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations | 8% | 32% to 50% | |
| Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs | 6% | 32% to 52% | |
| Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation | 5% | 43% to 57% | |
| Provide students with information on topics such as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs | 5% | 32% to 50% | |
| Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees | 5% | 40% to 68% | |
| Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools | 4% | 32% to 50% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $52,100
- Healthcare Social Workers54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $67,880
- Psychiatric Technicians32% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,130
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,970
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2030. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Machines can do 45% of the tasks of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors today and 60% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 21-1012.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/educational-guidance-and-career-counselors-and-advisors/