Students can now ask a chatbot which colleges fit them, and job seekers can get a resume rewritten in seconds. School and career counselors do the part a chatbot cannot: knowing the student, spotting what is getting in the way, and working with teachers and families.
The short answer: current evidence does not point to AI replacing school and career counselors. The ILO's 2025 index rates social work and counselling professionals as not exposed to generative AI, with a score of 0.28, and rates other teaching professionals as minimally exposed at 0.33. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3 percent growth for school and career counselors and advisors from 2025 to 2035, with about 27,800 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed counselors are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work and Counselling Professionals | Not exposed | 0.28 |
| Teaching Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified | Minimal exposure | 0.33 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so these are the closest groups rather than a score for school counselors alone.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| School and career counselors and advisors | Grow 3% | About 27,800 |
The BLS notes schools expanding counselor roles and colleges opening career centers. Nearly all states require school counselors to hold a master's degree and a state credential.
Where AI is helping
- College and career search and matching.
- Resume and cover letter drafts.
- Interview practice and skills assessments.
- Scheduling, reminders and records.
What stays with the counselor
- Knowing the student: spotting the barriers behind poor grades or behavior.
- Working with others: teachers, families and support services.
- Hard conversations: crises, setbacks and decisions with real stakes.
- Checking AI help: college, career and pay information from a chatbot can be confidently wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Students and clients arrive with AI-made plans and resumes, and counselors help them judge and improve those. Career counseling increasingly includes how AI is changing jobs themselves, which is what this site covers.
See also will AI replace teachers?, will AI replace therapists? and will AI take my job?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for school and career counselors at $64,330 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: master's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace school counselors?
Not on current evidence. The ILO rates counselling professionals not exposed to generative AI, and the BLS projects 3 percent growth for school and career counselors from 2025 to 2035.
Can a chatbot replace a career counselor?
It can draft resumes and suggest options, but knowing the person, judging fit and handling setbacks still need a counselor.
How many counselor openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 27,800 openings a year, on average, over the decade.
What does it take to become a school counselor?
Nearly all states require a master's degree, usually in counseling or psychology, plus a state credential.