How to hire a college counselor

How to hire a college counselor, step by step

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

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

What does a college counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your college 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 a college 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?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect college counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of college counselors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of College Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   College Counselor	School 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.	$15-29
   Admissions Representative	As the name entails, admissions representatives assist prospective and new students attending a university. They give these students the information they need to make a well-informed decision regarding enrollment, make admissions decisions, and review documents... Show more	$11-28
   Job Coach	A job coach is responsible for evaluating people's skills and qualifications, advising them with career paths, helping with their aspirations, and promote employment opportunities. Job coaches help the clients build self-confidence and explore their maximum potentials to develop their professional growth... Show more	$14-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Colleges
   • Social Work
   • Professional Development
   • FAFSA
   • Admissions Process
   • Scholarship Applications
   • Financial Aid Workshops
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Financial Aid
   • Financial Aid Applications
   • Standardized Testing
   • Naviance
   • Mental Health Issues
   • NCAA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead mathematics courses to help students prepare for the math section on the SATs.
   • Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
   • Educate students about the financial aid process, FAFSA application, opportunity programs, and scholarships.
   • Provide support with essay critiques, resumes, applications, scholarships, FAFSA and standardize test preparation.
   • Maintain student records including GPA's and transcripts.
   • Serve as school coordinator for NCAA eligibility for student athletes.

   More college counselor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, college counselors' average salary in south dakota is 51% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level college counselors 47% less than senior-level college counselors.
   • Certifications. A college 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 a college counselor's salary.

   Average college counselor salary

   $45,991yearly

   $22.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level college counselor salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average college counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$62,592	$30
   2	Massachusetts	$57,361	$28
   3	New York	$54,997	$26
   4	New Jersey	$52,555	$25
   5	Texas	$46,134	$22
   6	Virginia	$45,112	$22
   7	Pennsylvania	$43,974	$21
   8	Wisconsin	$43,284	$21
   9	Illinois	$42,060	$20
   10	Utah	$40,320	$19
   11	Louisiana	$39,202	$19
   12	Arizona	$38,287	$18
   13	North Carolina	$37,309	$18
   14	Kentucky	$33,896	$16
   15	Missouri	$33,516	$16

   Average college counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California College of the Arts	$75,351	$36.23
   2	Kenyon College	$63,060	$30.32	2
   3	Columbia University in the City of New York	$57,656	$27.72	17
   4	Democracy Prep Public Schools	$56,334	$27.08
   5	KIPP Austin Public Schools	$55,653	$26.76	13
   6	Aspire Public Schools	$55,387	$26.63	2
   7	YES Prep Public Schools	$54,657	$26.28	1
   8	Idyllwild Arts	$54,204	$26.06	2
   9	Arizona College	$53,914	$25.92
   10	KIPP DC	$53,337	$25.64	1
   11	Long Island Business Institute	$50,688	$24.37
   12	KIPP New Orleans Schools	$50,673	$24.36	1
   13	Camino Nuevo Charter Academy	$50,214	$24.14	1
   14	The Art Institute Of Houston	$48,032	$23.09
   15	IDEA Public Schools	$47,673	$22.92	27
   16	Mayo Clinic	$47,392	$22.78	12
   17	Sunnyside Unified School District	$46,619	$22.41	2
   18	Pace Industries	$46,176	$22.20
   19	St. Clare Catholic School	$45,735	$21.99	2
   20	Central College	$45,500	$21.88

4. Writing a college counselor job description

   A job description for a college counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a college counselor job description:

   College counselor job description example

   Shift Hours Range from 5AM-3PM

   The Hospitality Professional role is more than just a job, it's an opportunity. In addition to working directly for an independent Operator, team members gain life experience that goes far beyond just serving a great product in a friendly environment. Chick-fil-A is a great opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds, and no experience is necessary.

   Work in a Chick-fil-A Restaurant
   A job at Chick-fil-A is more than just a job. It's a stepping-stone to a successful future in the world of business. Here are some of the great benefits of working at Chick-fil-A.

   Now Offering FREE COLLEGE TUITION for ALL Team Members!

   Flexible Hours
   You probably have commitments to your family, friends, school or sports teams. We will try to arrange your work schedule around them.

   Closed Sundays
   All Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays so you can have a day off to spend with family and friends.

   Work Directly With A Chick-fil-A Operator
   The Operator is an independent business person, responsible for the operation of the restaurant, who invests time in his or her employees, teaching them important business skills for the future.

   Competitive Pay
   Along with a competitive paycheck, you will work in a nurturing environment where you will learn valuable business and people skills. Full Time Pay at $14

   It's a Great Place to Work
   At Chick-fil-A, our Operators consider their team members to be more than just employees, they are a highly valued part of each Chick-fil-A restaurant. Our high retention rate is proof that team members really enjoy working at Chick-fil-A.

   No Experience Is Necessary
   We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic people who enjoy serving customers. We will teach you everything else you need to know.

   Requirements

   • You must be hard-working, team-oriented, friendly, honest and have great customer service skills.
   • Must be able to work 40 Hours a week with Open Availability including most Saturdays.
   • Must be 18 years old or have HS Equivalent Diploma

   Additional Info

   • Flexible Hours ...You probably have commitments to your family, friends, school or sports teams. We will try to arrange your work schedule around them. All Chick-fil-A Units are closed on Sundays so you can have a day off to spend with family and friends.
   • College Scholarships ...At Chick-fil-A, we believe everyone deserves an education. We offer Leadership Scholarships to eligible employees who qualify.
   • Competitive Pay ...Along with a competitive paycheck, you will work in a nurturing environment where you will learn valuable business and people skills.
   • It's a Friendly Place to Work ...At Chick-fil-A, we consider our team to be more than just employees. Our extremely low turnover rate is proof that people love working here.
   • Opportunity for advancement!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right college counselor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with college counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit college counselors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your college counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit college counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with college 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 college counselor

   Once you've found the college 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new college 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a college counselor?