How to hire a student advisor

How to hire a student advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step student advisor hiring guide:

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

What does a student advisor do?

Post a student advisor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a student advisor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a student advisor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a student advisor that fits the bill.

   This list presents student advisor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Student Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Advisor	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.	$14-25
   Peer Counselor	Typically working at schools, communities, or medical facilities, a peer counselor specializes in providing counseling to an individual or group of people, aiming to help them deal with and overcome crises. Their duties often include conducting initial assessments through interviews and appointments, listening to clients and offering advice, recommending opportunities, referring them to other support agencies, and coordinating treatment services as needed... Show more	$11-27
   Academic Coordinator	An academic coordinator is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the development of curriculums in public and private learning institutions. They may also participate in the creation of effective teaching materials and programs in adherence to the educational standards... Show more	$16-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Student Services
   • International Student
   • Support Services
   • Financial Aid
   • Professional Development
   • SEVIS
   • Academic Support
   • PowerPoint
   • Student Life
   • Student Retention
   • DSO
   • Student Accounts
   • Federal Regulations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Plan events, manage email and marketing advertisements via Facebook, answer phone calls.
   • Lead efforts facilitate recruitment and educational benefits for new and current student veterans at VCU.
   • Manage UAFS's F-1/J-1 student visa SEVIS compliance as DSO/ARO, ensuring all documentation is in order prior to students arriving.
   • Run training sessions and tutorials for students and faculty for the various services and programs offer by WestLaw.
   • Help veterans and/or their families with the G.I.
   • Specialize educator for students requiring RTI, IEP and gift services.

   More student advisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your student advisor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A student advisor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a student advisor in Montana may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level student advisor usually earns less than a senior-level student advisor. Additionally, a student advisor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average student advisor salary

   $41,418yearly

   $19.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level student advisor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average student advisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$54,811	$26
   2	Maryland	$50,803	$24
   3	Massachusetts	$50,143	$24
   4	California	$48,253	$23
   5	Minnesota	$47,898	$23
   6	New York	$43,936	$21
   7	Washington	$43,897	$21
   8	New Jersey	$42,881	$21
   9	Wisconsin	$42,844	$21
   10	Nebraska	$42,502	$20
   11	Michigan	$41,939	$20
   12	Illinois	$39,508	$19
   13	Texas	$39,120	$19
   14	Colorado	$38,961	$19
   15	Missouri	$38,468	$18
   16	Oregon	$38,462	$18
   17	North Carolina	$38,187	$18
   18	Idaho	$38,043	$18
   19	Georgia	$37,831	$18
   20	Arizona	$36,925	$18

   Average student advisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$70,389	$33.84
   2	University of Massachusetts Boston	$55,442	$26.65	3
   3	Pace University	$54,659	$26.28	21
   4	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$52,757	$25.36	5
   5	Huron Consulting Group	$52,653	$25.31
   6	New York University	$52,307	$25.15	6
   7	Columbia University in the City of New York	$51,891	$24.95	30
   8	Cengage Learning	$51,269	$24.65	60
   9	University of California	$51,185	$24.61	21
   10	University of Southern California	$49,974	$24.03	26
   11	Midland University	$49,584	$23.84	2
   12	University of California-Berkeley	$49,204	$23.66
   13	Research Foundation of The City University of New York	$48,885	$23.50
   14	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	$48,281	$23.21	11
   15	2U	$47,667	$22.92	1
   16	UC Santa Barbara	$47,620	$22.89
   17	Long Beach City College	$47,436	$22.81
   18	The City University of New York	$47,275	$22.73	29
   19	University of San Diego	$47,149	$22.67	3
   20	Duke University Health System	$46,668	$22.44	6

4. Writing a student advisor job description

   A student advisor 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. Below, you can find an example of a student advisor job description:

   Student advisor job description example

   + Department: International Students Office
   
   + School Area: Chancellor's
   
   + Employment Type: Full-time (Hybrid)
   
   + Employment Category: Exempt
   
   + Visa Sponsorship Available: No
   
   + Schedule:
   
   Email a Friend Save Save Apply Now
   
   Information on MIT's COVID-19 vaccination requirement can be found at the bottom of this posting.
   
   INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISOR, International Students Office (2 openings), to advise international students, including international degree, visiting, non-degree, exchange, and special students on immigration regulations and procedures. Will serve as a point-of-contact for specific academic programs/departments and their international students; have designated advisor-on-call periods; and provide programmatic support, including orientation presentations, to academic program cohorts. Responsibilities will also include providing counsel on U.S. immigration regulations, Institute and department policy, personal and cultural adjustment, and other issues; serving as a Designated School Official (F student visa program) and as an Alternate Responsible Officer for the J Exchange Visitor Program; and conducting other programming events as necessary for designated advising cohort and general ISO programs.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   REQUIRED: bachelor's degree; three years' direct/related work experience; proficient knowledge of federal immigration and governmental and state agencies' regulations; excellent communication skills, including ability to address large groups; initiative; discretion with sensitive issues; meticulous attention to detail, accuracy, and deadlines; ability to work creatively and independently within a team-oriented environment; proficiency with standard computer software applications; excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; and ability establish effective relationships with other campus administrative offices, communicate effectively with a diverse community, and self-set priorities and juggle competing demands in an extremely fast-paced environment. PREFERRED: master's degree; experience in international student advising; user knowledge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and U.S. immigration regulations pertaining to the F and J student visa types; MIT experience and familiarity with MIT procedures/practices; cross-cultural or multicultural experience; fluency in a language other than English; experience living abroad; and experience with Sunapsis software. Job #21451-7
   
   U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency is required as per U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State regulations. 6/21/22

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right student advisor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit student advisors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 student advisor

   Once you've selected the best student advisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   To prepare for the new student advisor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a student advisor?