Credit counselors
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Median Salary
$50,480
~$24/hr · ~$4,207/mo
US Jobs
32K
As fast as average
AI & Automation Risk
7/10
High Risk
AI & Automation Risk
High Risk 7/10
The core tasks of credit counseling—analyzing financial data, creating budgets, and explaining debt management options—are fundamentally digital and information-based, making them highly susceptible to AI automation. While the role requires interpersonal skills and emotional support for clients in financial distress, AI can already perform the complex calculations and personalized recommendation generation that constitute the bulk of the technical work.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NEBEST VALUE | $68,230 | Below avg (91.9) | $74,249 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $76,180 | Above avg (109.1) | $69,832 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,280 | Above avg (113.1) | $66,585 |
| Boise City, ID | $62,230 | Below avg (94.2) | $66,031 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,880 | Above avg (117.6) | $65,401 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $61,170 | Below avg (97.0) | $63,078 |
| Fresno, CA | $65,260 | Above avg (104.0) | $62,748 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $66,770 | Above avg (106.7) | $62,569 |
| Cleveland, OH | $57,800 | Below avg (92.9) | $62,211 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $60,340 | Average (97.1) | $62,113 |
| Ithaca, NY | $61,630 | Average (99.5) | $61,922 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $69,730 | Above avg (112.7) | $61,855 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $58,020 | Below avg (94.2) | $61,577 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $55,830 | Below avg (91.6) | $60,948 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $52,380 | Below avg (87.2) | $60,082 |
Cost of Living Index: 100 = US national average. Below 100 = cheaper. Above 100 = more expensive.
Education & Requirements
Education Required
Bachelor's degree
10-Year Growth
+3% (As fast as average)
Hourly Rate
~$24/hr
Monthly Income
~$4,207/mo
Related Careers
Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OOH (2024)