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Job outlook for career development consultants in the United States
Are career development consultant jobs in demand?
Career development consultant job and salary trends over time
Career development consultant jobs over time
Career development consultant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 76 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 77 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 74 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 71 | 0.00% |
Average career development consultant salary over time
Career development consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,432 | $21.36 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $43,606 | $20.96 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $43,048 | $20.70 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $42,360 | $20.37 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $41,710 | $20.05 | +1.7% |
Career development consultant jobs by state
Most common states for career development consultants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 303 | 35% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 115 | 20% |
| 3 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 925 | 19% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 976 | 18% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 190 | 18% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 133 | 18% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 685 | 17% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 122 | 16% |
| 9 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 446 | 15% |
| 10 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 295 | 14% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 269 | 14% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 811 | 12% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 336 | 12% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,401 | 11% |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,148 | 11% |
| 16 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 316 | 11% |
| 17 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 2,808 | 10% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 589 | 10% |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 584 | 10% |
| 20 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 312 | 10% |
Most common cities for career development consultants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunwoody | 1 | 2% | $35,321 |
Career Development Consultant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of career development consultant experts
Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
Tuskegee University
Wisconsin Business School
High Point University
Humboldt State University
Monmouth University
Butler University
Lycoming College
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Quinnipiac University
Arpita Agnihotri
Associate ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
International Business
What will help Career Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
Arpita Agnihotri: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
Dr. Kai KOONG
Dean, Brimmer College of Business and Information ScienceTuskegee University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Career Development Consultant?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, besides working hard, work smart, in particular.
Second, find a mentor to help you adapt to the new work environment and culture.
Third, ask for help and be a true team player. You will be surprise most colleagues want you to do well.
Fourth, learn as much as you can and keep a balanced profile.
What Career Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, industry certifications and electronic badges will be useful for your longevity in the workplace.
Second, acquire additional soft skills and know when to put them to work
Third, learn new tools (SAP, and AI and ML in particular) can help you to climb the ladder and avoid being laid off too
What will help Career Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, get an internship (within your targeted industry or segment) to show that you have work experience that are relevant.
Second, make sure you select a career in sectors known for high wages (examples: accounting, artificial intelligence, cyber technologies, finance, healthcare, and supply chain)
Third, acquire initial industry badges and beginner's certifications prior to graduation or immediately thereafter.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Career Development Consultants?
Claire Jablonsky: We have a lot of students wanting to head into the creative side of marketing and thus are getting certificates (minors) in digital studies and graphic design. They are working on getting experience with Adobe, Photoshop, Lightroom and other programs that will give them the skills to work in advertising. On the analytical side, they are getting certificates in Google Analytics.
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.
Assistant Vice PresidentHigh Point University
Career and Professional Development
What's a day at work look like for a Career Development Consultant?
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.: It depends on the organization. With more vaccines coming out and some clamoring to actually get out of their house and get back to being in an office, organizations will see that it is safer for people to come back to work, to fly to meetings, to be like it was a couple of years ago. In fact, some have already gone back to that. Other organizations have seen that people can indeed work from anywhere and production and work output still remain at a high level in quality or quantity, and they may allow virtual work in part or in full. Philosophy graduates need to be prepared for either of these. I and our office of Career and Professional Development encourage graduates to first think about what style they like best. In talking with graduates, I know some of them are burned out with video and miss being around people in person. For those graduates with that type of preference, we encourage them to be strategic and targeted in their approach to looking for jobs, ensuring that working in an office, around people, in person, should be a major priority when searching and applying for jobs. For other graduates who have enjoyed and become skilled at video meetings, like that type of interaction, and feel they want to work from home, they should make sure that any job they are applying to would allow the ability and flexibility to work from anywhere.
What will help Career Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.: Philosophy majors are employable in a variety of fields such as education, law, ethics, business, religious-affiliated areas, community services, government, and communications to name a few. A 538 article in 2015 showed that philosophy majors have the fourth-highest median earnings for those with only undergraduate degrees. The Winter 2020 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) salary survey indicated philosophy majors have the highest mean and median salary across all humanities majors and is comparable to other majors as well. To increase their earning potential, we encourage our students to focus on life skills that can separate themselves from all the others who are applying to the job. How can you showcase pertinent life skills that philosophy majors are known for - such as resiliency, the flexibility and capacity for growth, analytical, organizational and research skills like idea generation, problem formulation and problem solving, persuasion, and communication skills - on your brand documents like your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, or in interviews? Specifically, how can you display that you have learned and developed those skills inside and outside the classroom in strong bullet points on your resume or in your cover letter? How can you clearly articulate how you've displayed or enhanced those skills through your classwork, internships, jobs, volunteer work, or other experiences in answering interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" or "What are your strengths?" or "Tell me about a time you had to influence others?" A GPA will likely get your foot in the door, but the ability to demonstrate these important like skills on paper, online, and in person in networking and interviewing will show others that you will be successful not just on day one of the job, but be seen as a high potential in your fist year, five years, and beyond.
Loren Collins
Faculty support Coordinator for Service Learning and Career EducationHumboldt State University
Academic and Career Advising Center
How have salaries changed over time for Career Development Consultants?
Loren Collins: In my field - and probably in many fields - I think the big trend has been not as much focus on salary and more the cost of retirement programs and healthcare. Landing a job with good retirement and great healthcare is not always easy and for many worth a trade for a slightly lower salary.
What soft skills should all Career Development Consultants possess?
William Hill: Problem solving skills are essential in the workplace for new grads, especially now. They will find it increasingly difficult to engage more experienced co-workers for helpful problem solving advice in a virtual workspace. You can't just stroll over to someone's office for a quick chat anymore. They will be more often "on their own" when it comes to analyzing a challenge and crafting a solution. Verbal and written communication skills remain important in a workspace dominated by Zoom and email.
Julie Schrader
Sr. Associate DirectorButler University
Career and Professional Success
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Development Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Julie Schrader: I think some trends we will see are more remote work components of internships or jobs given the pandemic. Some organizations will hope to return to fully in-person, but I think there will be more flexibility provided to employees to work remotely or partially remote. I also think some organizations may reduce their physical footprints and move from larger buildings to smaller spaces if they plan to have a mix of in-person and remote workforce, which can impact the culture. We have seen the impact the pandemic has had in some industries such as sports, events, hospitality, and others that rely on in-person functions and components, and I think we'll see fewer, more competitive opportunities in those areas for a while. Networking has always been important but I see a greater emphasis being put on networking and building connections during this time of limited in-person interactions and a more competitive job seeker environment. Finally, I think we have been pleased to see that many organizations have been hiring at the same or similar rate during the pandemic as they were prior to it.
What skills stand out on Career Development Consultant resumes?
Career Advisors of the CEAE : Applicants need to connect their skills and experience with what an employer is looking for. With that being said, flexibility, adaptability, and experience with various technology is increasingly important during a pandemic. Quantifiable achievements are always important as well as leadership, presentation/communication skills, and teamwork ability.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Development Consultants to find work opportunities?
Career Advisors of the CEAE : Research what cities are ranked high for a strong and growing job market and don't limit yourself to a specific location. Be creative and don't rely on one or two sources in your search. Use the many online job search and research tools that are available. Networking is one of the most powerful tools to discover advertised - as well as unadvertised - opportunities. Use the capabilities of LinkedIn to connect with alumni and to develop and strengthen your brand! Don't dismiss social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that are often used for entertainment and other purposes. You may find opportunities here as well.
What general advice would you give to a Career Development Consultant?
Mike Hagarty: An often quoted statistic from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is that Americans between the ages of 18 and 48 will hold an AVERAGE of eleven different jobs. Your first job out of college will almost certainly not be your last, so don't sit back and wait for the "perfect" job to fall in your lap. Every job holds opportunities to earn, to learn, to contribute, and to network. Learn from each job, and take those new insights, skills, and networks with you to a new position or new company. Over time, you will put together a tapestry of experiences, which will create the picture of your career.
Regardless of the job market, the most valuable thing a graduate has is their education. They have a network (career services at their school, alumni, partner businesses and organizations); they have acquired knowledge and new critical-thinking skills; they are problem solvers; and hopefully they have gained experience through internships or externships. The lifetime earning potential makes the education price tag an excellent long-term return on investment. Getting a bachelor's degree brings the average lifetime earnings to $2.3 million. That's more than 31 percent more than workers with an associate's degree and 74 percent more than those with a high school diploma (Georgetown Center on Education and the workforce).
What general advice would you give to a Career Development Consultant?
Shelley Sadin: Communicating clearly, both orally and in writing.
It is identifying and analyzing legal and factual issues with an open, thoughtful, and creative mind.
Working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, opponents, and others involved in a case to solve problems.
Being meticulously ethical and professional in all interactions. This includes treating everyone involved in a matter with respect, recognizing, and honoring their different backgrounds and perspectives.
Being self-disciplined, motivated, resilient, courageous, kind, and flexible.