Post Job

How to hire an Academic Counselor

Academic counselor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring academic counselors in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an academic counselor is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new academic counselor to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an academic counselor, step by step

To hire an academic counselor, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a academic counselor:

Here's a step-by-step academic counselor hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an academic counselor job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new academic counselor
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an Academic Counselor do?

In high schools and universities, an academic counselor specializes in providing counseling and consultations to students, focusing on their educational and career growth. They typically meet with students to discuss their short and long term goals and help by providing them with insights and information or referring them to other services and resources. Moreover, an academic counselor must assist students by addressing their issues and concerns, giving them emotional support and academic advice, and helping them navigate through various procedures.

Learn more about the specifics of what an academic counselor does
jobs
Post An Academic Counselor Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your academic counselor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an academic counselor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An academic counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, academic counselors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of academic counselors.

    Type Of Academic CounselorDescriptionHourly Rate
    Academic CounselorSchool counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.$16-30
    Enrollment AdvisorAs the frontline in every school, the enrollment advisor works on answering students' queries about the university, its performance, the curriculum used, fees to be paid, scholarships provided, and even facilitate the on-campus tour. Should the student choose to enroll, the enrollment advisor helps process documents while also checking for course availability... Show More$12-24
    Student AdvisorA student advisor is responsible for supporting the students' personal growth and development by guiding them on their learning processes and educational goals. Student advisors provide regular counseling for the students to analyze their career aspirations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and strategize learning plans to address those difficulties... Show More$14-25
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common Skills:
    • Financial Aid
    • Academic Support
    • Student Services
    • Professional Development
    • Student Athletes
    • Academic Advisement
    • Academic Programs
    • Support Services
    • Student Retention
    • Academic Performance
    • Academic Probation
    • NCAA
    • Conflict Resolution
    • Study
    Check All Skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
    • Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
    • Test PeopleSoft upgrades and provide suggestions.
    • Tutor introductory biology, chemistry, psychology and remedial mathematics.
    • Guide older students in navigating PeopleSoft application to access portal for online registrations.
    • Navigate the college process through the CUNY, SUNY, and common application.
    More Academic Counselor duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your academic counselor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An academic counselor can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, academic counselors' average salary in west virginia is 48% less than in virginia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level academic counselors 44% less than senior-level academic counselors.
    • Certifications. An academic counselor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an academic counselor's salary.

    Average academic counselor salary

    $47,454yearly

    $22.81 hourly rate

    Entry-level academic counselor salary
    $35,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 10, 2025

    Average academic counselor salary by state

    RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
    1California$59,244$28
    2Massachusetts$57,908$28
    3Virginia$57,037$27
    4New Jersey$55,867$27
    5New York$50,847$24
    6District of Columbia$50,020$24
    7Pennsylvania$46,620$22
    8Washington$46,121$22
    9Georgia$45,526$22
    10Nebraska$45,151$22
    11Texas$44,120$21
    12Michigan$42,758$21
    13Oregon$42,077$20
    14Mississippi$41,848$20
    15Arizona$40,863$20
    16North Carolina$40,055$19
    17Ohio$39,638$19

    Average academic counselor salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
    1California College of the Arts$69,353$33.34
    2Westfield State University$61,524$29.58
    3Massasoit Community College$59,180$28.454
    4Csu$57,567$27.6879
    5The Apollo Group$56,218$27.031
    6Central State University$56,161$27.002
    7Howard University$54,269$26.09
    8Aspire Public Schools$54,190$26.054
    9San José Unified School District$53,609$25.77
    10Post University, Inc.$53,436$25.699
    11Euclid High School$53,263$25.61
    12Olivet University$53,240$25.60
    13Greenfield-Central High School$52,489$25.241
    14University of California-Berkeley$51,806$24.91
    15Virginia's Community Colleges$51,323$24.6721
    16UC Santa Barbara$50,830$24.4413
    17Ivy Tech Community College$50,756$24.4013
    18Louisiana State Police$50,686$24.37
    19Cornerstone Learning Community$50,148$24.11
    20Valor Collegiate Academies$49,234$23.67
  4. Writing an Academic Counselor Job Description

    An academic counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an academic counselor job description:

    Academic Counselor job description example

    About the Academic Counselor Position:

    The Academic Counselor provides a range of services to address the academic needs of all KIPPsters, especially to impact, influence, and drive GPA health for 9th/10th grades. The essential functions may vary in intensity and demand. This is a school-based role with direct oversight by the principal, with additional collaboration with KTCC.

    About KIPP Through College & Career:

    KIPP Through College & Career (KTC²) is part of the broader KIPP approach that helps eliminate the opportunity gap between students from high- and low-income communities. KTC² counselors and advisors in KIPP schools across the country do whatever it takes to support students and families as they navigate high school, college entry, and persisting through college graduation & beyond. Support from KTC² empowers Colorado KIPPsters and their families with the knowledge, resources, and support to select the right college and career based on their interests and passions.

    KTC² programs in Colorado are supported by national initiatives and services that help provide access to high school, college, and career preparation resources across the KIPP network.

    Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

    Oversee GPA Health

    Work with operations teams to create and systemize regular data reports outlining GPA health and progress monitoring

    Plan for systems that build student literacy around GPA health and graduation readiness through ICAP

    Work with the Principal to analyze and respond to GPA data

    Work with instructional coaches to respond to classes not meeting annual targets for passing rates

    Provide PD to staff to build readiness and investment in GPA systems and grading systems

    Oversee Graduation Readiness

    Conduct regular audits of transcripts 9-12

    Meet with and counsel students in 9-12 who are off track for securing their credits, running Progress to Graduation meeting biannually (fall and spring) + additionally as needed.

    Monitor progress against DPS + KIPPCO graduation requirements, and work to implement next steps for student cohorts.

    Ensure clear, regular communication with students and families on progress to graduation

    Scheduling and Course Selection

    Understand student preference and pathways towards post-secondary goals and counsel students around course selection

    Work with operations team to actualize schedules based on course selection

    Manage Credit Recovery Systems

    Maintain robust tracking systems that identify student credit gaps

    Identify, lead, and plan for student opportunities for credit maintenance (i.e. Saturday School, Senior School, Summer School)

    Oversee + Manage Grading Systems

    Work with DPS to coordinate infinite campus/gradebooks/to support grading systems

    Monitor Gradebook health + work with Instructional coaches to respond to gaps in assignment frequency

    Provide PD to staff to build readiness and investment in GPA systems and grading systems

    9/10 Post-Secondary Readiness and Success

    Provide PD to staff to build readiness and investment in GPA systems and grading systems

    Support onboarding of Freshmen during 8/9 transition, with specific attention to students coming from non-KIPP middle schools (in other grades as well)

    Work with counseling team to plan and implement strategies for increasing literacy with academic health (GPA/credits) and post-secondary readiness in preparation for junior/senior year

    Work with KTCC to identify internships, summer programs, + enrichment opportunities for students as they align enrichment to post-secondary goals.

    Oversee planning, progress, and implementation of ICAP.

    Research and Data

    Tracks data using Salesforce and Naviance

    Researches and stays current on higher education programs, trends, and issues with student impact and makes recommendations based on best practices and research

    Assists in the utilization of an effective early-alert system for at-risk students and analyze attrition and student success outcomes and take action to improve retention

    This is a full-time position and is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  5. Post your job

    To find academic counselors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any academic counselors they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level academic counselors with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your academic counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit academic counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with academic counselor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new academic counselor

    Once you've found the academic counselor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new academic counselor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign Up To Download Full List

How much does it cost to hire an academic counselor?

There are different types of costs for hiring academic counselors. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new academic counselor employee.

You can expect to pay around $47,454 per year for an academic counselor, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for academic counselors in the US typically range between $16 and $30 an hour.

Find Better Academic Counselors In Less Time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring academic counselors faqs

Search for academic counselor jobs

Ready To Start Hiring?

Browse community and social services jobs