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Credit Counselors
Advise and educate individuals or organizations on acquiring and managing debt. May provide guidance in determining the best type of loan and explain loan requirements or restrictions. May help develop debt management plans or student financial aid packages. May advise on credit issues, or provide budget, mortgage, bankruptcy, or student financial aid counseling.
Other titles employers use
Accredited Financial Counselor · Certified Consumer Credit and Housing Counselor · Certified Credit and Housing Counselor · Certified Credit Consultant · Certified Credit Counselor · Credit Counselor · Financial Health Counselor · Housing Counselor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, helping and persuading work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.5 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 1.8 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.0 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 3.6 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 40%
- High school or less 36%
- A certificate or some college 20%
- A two-year degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Financial analysis software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 3,520
- Job openings each year
- 260
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.1%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,520 | 260 | 12.1% |
| Florida | 3,210 | 240 | 14.6% |
| California | 2,900 | 210 | 7.4% |
| Illinois | 2,740 | 190 | 5.0% |
| New York | 2,020 | 30 | 19.5% |
| Arizona | 1,780 | 140 | 17.1% |
| Virginia | 1,400 | 100 | 6.1% |
| Michigan | 1,260 | 90 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,210 | 80 | 3.4% |
| Tennessee | 1,100 | 80 | 7.8% |
| Utah | 1,020 | 80 | 24.4% |
| Wisconsin | 920 | 60 | 5.7% |
| Ohio | 770 | 50 | 4.1% |
| Iowa | 650 | 50 | 12.1% |
| Minnesota | 650 | 50 | 4.8% |
| North Carolina | 600 | 50 | 11.1% |
| New Jersey | 570 | 40 | 11.8% |
| Colorado | 560 | 40 | 19.1% |
| Indiana | 550 | 40 | 7.8% |
| New Hampshire | 510 | 40 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | 440 | 30 | 10.0% |
| Washington | 440 | 40 | 12.8% |
| Oregon | 410 | 30 | 7.9% |
| Kentucky | 400 | 30 | 5.3% |
| Mississippi | 330 | 20 | 6.5% |
| South Carolina | 300 | 20 | 20.0% |
| New Mexico | 290 | 20 | 11.5% |
| Georgia | 280 | 20 | 7.7% |
| Massachusetts | 270 | 20 | 8.0% |
| Nebraska | 220 | 20 | 4.8% |
| Oklahoma | 200 | 10 | 5.3% |
| Connecticut | 190 | 10 | 5.6% |
| District of Columbia | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| West Virginia | 140 | 10 | — |
| Missouri | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Maine | 120 | 10 | — |
| Rhode Island | 120 | 10 | — |
| Delaware | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| South Dakota | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Arkansas | 70 | 10 | — |
| Nevada | 50 | 0 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 50 | 0 | 25.0% |
| North Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 40 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Degrees each year
- 891
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Program entryApply after enrollment
Open college OHOhio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 817
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college FLFlorida State University
- Degrees each year
- 703
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Program entryApply after enrollment
Open college SCUniversity of South Carolina-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 597
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college PAPennsylvania State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 577
- Admit rate
- 54%
- Annual cost after aid
- $26,000
Program entryDirect to major
Open college FLFlorida International University
- Degrees each year
- 573
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college ALThe University of Alabama
- Degrees each year
- 572
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $22,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college GAUniversity of Georgia
- Degrees each year
- 545
- Admit rate
- 37%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Program entryApply after enrollment
Open collegeCompare every college offering finance and financial management services