13 Series · SOC 13-2071
Credit Counselors Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $52,230
- Median / year
- $80,440
- Top 10% earn
- +3.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 27,770
- US workers
Credit Counselors earn a median of $52,230 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $52,230, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $38,350 (10th percentile) to $80,440 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 27,770 US workers. California pays the most ($67,120), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Credit Counselors earn a median of $52,230, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 38% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Business and Financial Operations, it ranks #32 of 32 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.3% by 2033.
- $52,230
- Median annual wage
- Top 62%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #32 of 32
- in Business and Financial Operations
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: California at $67,120. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Credit Counselors (SOC 13-2071) pays a national median of $52,230 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $38,350 at the 10th percentile to $80,440 at the 90th, with a mean of $57,210 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 27,770 Americans work in this occupation across 47 reporting states and 137 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,200 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.3 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $67,120, which is +29% above the national figure. The top metro is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $82,570 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$52,230
per year
Median Hourly
$25.11/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$57,210
average
Employment
27,770
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Credit Counselors pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$52,230 Bottom 38% higher than 38% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 13-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Credit Counselors; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 13-series occupations with growth data, Credit Counselors sits on the slower-growing side at +3.3% growth and $52,230 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3.3%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
2,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.3/100
Danger Index
1.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Credit Counselors roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
- ▸ Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies.
- ▸ Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals.
- ▸ Prioritize client debt repayment to avoid dire consequences, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure or to reduce overall costs, such as by paying high-interest or short-term loans first.
- ▸ Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information.
- ▸ Recommend strategies for clients to meet their financial goals, such as borrowing money through loans or loan programs, declaring bankruptcy, making budget adjustments, or enrolling in debt management plans.
- ▸ Explain general financial topics to clients, such as credit report ratings, bankruptcy laws, consumer protection laws, wage attachments, or collection actions.
- ▸ Disburse funds from client accounts to creditors.
- ▸ Interview clients by telephone or in person to gather financial information.
- ▸ Estimate time for debt repayment, given amount of debt, interest rates, and available funds.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$38,350
25th Percentile
$45,720
Median
$52,230
75th Percentile
$64,080
90th Percentile
$80,440
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $67,120 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Georgia | $64,080 | +23% above national |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $63,580 | +22% above national |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $63,240 | +21% above national |
| 5 | New York | $63,030 | +21% above national |
| 6 | Nebraska | $62,510 | +20% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $62,360 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Minnesota | $62,160 | +19% above national |
| 9 | Maryland | $60,450 | +16% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $59,150 | +13% above national |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $58,830 | +13% above national |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $58,480 | +12% above national |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $58,330 | +12% above national |
| 14 | New Jersey | $57,180 | +9% above national |
| 15 | Colorado | $57,130 | +9% above national |
| 16 | Maine | $55,490 | +6% above national |
| 17 | Nevada | $55,480 | +6% above national |
| 18 | Connecticut | $54,710 | +5% above national |
| 19 | South Carolina | $53,190 | +2% above national |
| 20 | Delaware | $52,840 | +1% above national |
| 21 | North Dakota | $52,220 | same as national |
| 22 | Michigan | $52,160 | same as national |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $52,140 | same as national |
| 24 | Illinois | $51,930 | 1% below national |
| 25 | Virginia | $51,550 | 1% below national |
| 26 | Arizona | $51,480 | 1% below national |
| 27 | Utah | $51,330 | 2% below national |
| 28 | Ohio | $51,160 | 2% below national |
| 29 | Idaho | $51,130 | 2% below national |
| 30 | New Mexico | $50,390 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Puerto Rico | $50,010 | 4% below national |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,890 | 6% below national |
| 33 | Texas | $48,220 | 8% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $48,180 | 8% below national |
| 35 | Kentucky | $48,150 | 8% below national |
| 36 | Iowa | $48,130 | 8% below national |
| 37 | Alabama | $48,120 | 8% below national |
| 38 | Louisiana | $47,250 | 10% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $46,950 | 10% below national |
| 40 | Florida | $46,300 | 11% below national |
| 41 | North Carolina | $46,180 | 12% below national |
| 42 | Mississippi | $45,990 | 12% below national |
| 43 | West Virginia | $45,860 | 12% below national |
| 44 | Arkansas | $45,060 | 14% below national |
| 45 | Wyoming | $42,580 | 18% below national |
| 46 | Tennessee | $38,730 | 26% below national |
| 47 | Missouri | $30,580 | 41% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 137 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,570 | +58% above national |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $80,680 | +54% above national |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $76,930 | +47% above national |
| 4 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $67,120 | +29% above national |
| 5 | Fresno, CA | $66,660 | +28% above national |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | $65,540 | +25% above national |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $65,210 | +25% above national |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,750 | +24% above national |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,380 | +23% above national |
| 10 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $64,080 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $64,080 | +23% above national |
| 12 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,170 | +21% above national |
| 13 | Ithaca, NY | $62,750 | +20% above national |
| 14 | Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $62,660 | +20% above national |
| 15 | Omaha, NE-IA | $62,520 | +20% above national |
| 16 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $62,500 | +20% above national |
| 17 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $62,480 | +20% above national |
| 18 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $62,340 | +19% above national |
| 19 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $62,240 | +19% above national |
| 20 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $62,080 | +19% above national |
| 21 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $61,980 | +19% above national |
| 22 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $61,930 | +19% above national |
| 23 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $60,730 | +16% above national |
| 24 | Worcester, MA | $60,680 | +16% above national |
| 25 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $60,600 | +16% above national |
| 26 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $60,210 | +15% above national |
| 27 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $60,110 | +15% above national |
| 28 | Rochester, NY | $60,040 | +15% above national |
| 29 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $59,750 | +14% above national |
| 30 | Ann Arbor, MI | $59,570 | +14% above national |
| 31 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $59,470 | +14% above national |
| 32 | Syracuse, NY | $59,160 | +13% above national |
| 33 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $58,710 | +12% above national |
| 34 | Cleveland, OH | $58,570 | +12% above national |
| 35 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $58,480 | +12% above national |
| 36 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $58,480 | +12% above national |
| 37 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $58,090 | +11% above national |
| 38 | Pittsburgh, PA | $58,090 | +11% above national |
| 39 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,990 | +11% above national |
| 40 | Lancaster, PA | $57,550 | +10% above national |
| 41 | Madison, WI | $57,260 | +10% above national |
| 42 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $57,240 | +10% above national |
| 43 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $57,210 | +10% above national |
| 44 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $56,960 | +9% above national |
| 45 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $56,770 | +9% above national |
| 46 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $56,670 | +9% above national |
| 47 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $56,060 | +7% above national |
| 48 | Duluth, MN-WI | $55,920 | +7% above national |
| 49 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $55,570 | +6% above national |
| 50 | Colorado Springs, CO | $55,140 | +6% above national |
| 51 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $55,040 | +5% above national |
| 52 | Columbus, OH | $54,880 | +5% above national |
| 53 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $54,830 | +5% above national |
| 54 | Richmond, VA | $54,150 | +4% above national |
| 55 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $54,110 | +4% above national |
| 56 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $53,800 | +3% above national |
| 57 | Flint, MI | $53,440 | +2% above national |
| 58 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $53,400 | +2% above national |
| 59 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $53,190 | +2% above national |
| 60 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $53,140 | +2% above national |
| 61 | Albuquerque, NM | $52,290 | same as national |
| 62 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $51,880 | 1% below national |
| 63 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,820 | 1% below national |
| 64 | Iowa City, IA | $51,710 | 1% below national |
| 65 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $51,160 | 2% below national |
| 66 | Springfield, MA | $51,140 | 2% below national |
| 67 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $50,990 | 2% below national |
| 68 | Jacksonville, FL | $50,850 | 3% below national |
| 69 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $50,690 | 3% below national |
| 70 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $50,480 | 3% below national |
| 71 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $50,430 | 3% below national |
| 72 | Green Bay, WI | $50,300 | 4% below national |
| 73 | Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $50,260 | 4% below national |
| 74 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $50,120 | 4% below national |
| 75 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $50,010 | 4% below national |
| 76 | Baton Rouge, LA | $49,790 | 5% below national |
| 77 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $49,600 | 5% below national |
| 78 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $49,550 | 5% below national |
| 79 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $49,530 | 5% below national |
| 80 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,390 | 5% below national |
| 81 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $49,380 | 5% below national |
| 82 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $49,160 | 6% below national |
| 83 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $49,070 | 6% below national |
| 84 | Morgantown, WV | $48,890 | 6% below national |
| 85 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $48,890 | 6% below national |
| 86 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,810 | 7% below national |
| 87 | Saginaw, MI | $48,780 | 7% below national |
| 88 | Jackson, MS | $48,450 | 7% below national |
| 89 | Roanoke, VA | $48,400 | 7% below national |
| 90 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $48,200 | 8% below national |
| 91 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $48,180 | 8% below national |
| 92 | Tulsa, OK | $48,130 | 8% below national |
| 93 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $48,100 | 8% below national |
| 94 | Fort Wayne, IN | $47,980 | 8% below national |
| 95 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $47,980 | 8% below national |
| 96 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $47,950 | 8% below national |
| 97 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $47,810 | 8% below national |
| 98 | Tucson, AZ | $47,710 | 9% below national |
| 99 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $47,690 | 9% below national |
| 100 | Toledo, OH | $47,450 | 9% below national |
| 101 | Evansville, IN | $47,430 | 9% below national |
| 102 | Charleston, WV | $47,380 | 9% below national |
| 103 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,180 | 10% below national |
| 104 | Ogden, UT | $47,090 | 10% below national |
| 105 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $46,970 | 10% below national |
| 106 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $46,950 | 10% below national |
| 107 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $46,850 | 10% below national |
| 108 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $46,670 | 11% below national |
| 109 | South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $46,500 | 11% below national |
| 110 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $46,480 | 11% below national |
| 111 | Longview, TX | $46,330 | 11% below national |
| 112 | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,150 | 12% below national |
| 113 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $46,130 | 12% below national |
| 114 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $46,070 | 12% below national |
| 115 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $46,050 | 12% below national |
| 116 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $46,050 | 12% below national |
| 117 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $45,860 | 12% below national |
| 118 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $45,840 | 12% below national |
| 119 | Birmingham, AL | $45,760 | 12% below national |
| 120 | Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $45,620 | 13% below national |
| 121 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $45,090 | 14% below national |
| 122 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $45,050 | 14% below national |
| 123 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $44,550 | 15% below national |
| 124 | El Paso, TX | $44,510 | 15% below national |
| 125 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $44,440 | 15% below national |
| 126 | Tyler, TX | $44,170 | 15% below national |
| 127 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $43,970 | 16% below national |
| 128 | Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $43,050 | 18% below national |
| 129 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $42,190 | 19% below national |
| 130 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $42,070 | 19% below national |
| 131 | Las Cruces, NM | $41,870 | 20% below national |
| 132 | Lubbock, TX | $40,960 | 22% below national |
| 133 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $40,480 | 22% below national |
| 134 | Amarillo, TX | $40,080 | 23% below national |
| 135 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $39,430 | 25% below national |
| 136 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $38,840 | 26% below national |
| 137 | Johnson City, TN | $37,020 | 29% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 13 (business and financial operations) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Credit Counselors make? ▼
What state pays Credit Counselors the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Credit Counselors? ▼
How dangerous is being a Credit Counselors? ▼
Is Credit Counselors a good career? ▼
How does Credit Counselors pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Credit Counselors? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Credit Counselors pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $64,080/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $67,120/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.