| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Review changes to financial, family, or employment situations to determine whether changes to existing debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets are needed. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Recommend educational materials or resources to clients on matters, such as financial planning, budgeting, or credit. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Explain general financial topics to clients, such as credit report ratings, bankruptcy laws, consumer protection laws, wage attachments, or collection actions. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Advise clients on housing matters, such as housing rental, homeownership, mortgage delinquency, or foreclosure prevention. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Estimate time for debt repayment, given amount of debt, interest rates, and available funds. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Interview clients by telephone or in person to gather financial information. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Maintain or update records of client account activity, including financial transactions, counseling session notes, correspondence, document images, or client inquiries. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Refer clients to social service or community resources for needs beyond those of credit or debt counseling. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Advise clients or respond to inquiries about financial matters in person or via phone, email, Web site, or Internet chat. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Prepare written documents to establish contracts with or communicate financial recommendations to clients. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Teach courses or seminars on topics, such as budgeting, management of personal finances, or financial literacy. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Explain loan information to clients, such as available loan types, eligibility requirements, or loan restrictions. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Create action plans to assist clients in obtaining permanent housing via rent or mortgage programs. |
Bachelor Degree Careers and Jobs (jobs after undergraduate degree)
Explore Careers and Jobs Predominantly Filled by Those with a Bachelor's Degree with or without Certificates - All On One Page
Sorted by median annual U.S. salary and including percentage of job holders with Bachelor's Degree.
A bachelor's degree qualifies graduates for a wide range of professional, technical, and management-track careers across nearly every industry. For people who want to compare where a four-year degree can lead before choosing a major or job. Compare careers ranked by salary, review degree-holder and experience percentages, and access preparation resources for each role.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps, relative to an Bachelor's Degree, to (1) Select a career, (2) Find active job listings, (3) Prepare for the career you chose, and (4) Provide web resources specific to the career you chose.
Step 1: Select a Career: You will be presented with a listing of Bachelor's Degree careers. The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of careers below
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover careers that might be of interest.
Once you have identified a career of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the career you selected. Information includes core and supplemental duties, general and specific work activities, knowledge required, essential and transferable skills required, day-in-the-life summaries, knowledge required, software skills required, preparation required, educational requirements, training and work experience required, local salary information, certifications, professional associations, current job listings for the job selected along with multiple similar job titles, and related careers (related to what they do, what they know, and what they're called).
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that will provide detailed (updated) links to occupational information specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career
Leading Books About Bachelor's Degree Jobs
What jobs can you get with a Bachelor's Degree? Scroll through the picklist (below). These are careers related to the Bachelor's Degree level, with at least 30% of job holders having a Bachelor's Degree. - 223 specific careers are listed, with matching jobs currently available. Select those careers that may be of interest - you will then get links to matching active job listings, and detailed resources to help you prepare.
You can use this form two ways:
1) Enter a Keyword - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the listing to those careers that contain the keyword entered
2) Browse the list (Don't enter a keyword) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover jobs that might be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title - Sorted by Annual Salary -(scroll and Select) :
Legend: Career Title Link / (% having Bachelor's Degree) / (Median Annual U.S. Salary)
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings for: Credit Counselors.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Prepare for the "Credit Counselors" Career
The details below will provide a pathway to your specific job goal and help you to identify an appropriate career ladder.
Credit Counselors
Description: 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.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Credit Counselors":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
33,800U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
36,900
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
3,000 (9%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
3,000
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Conduct research to help clients avoid repossessions or foreclosures or remove levies or wage garnishments. |
| Importance: 57 (%) | Description: Negotiate with creditors on behalf of clients to arrange for payment adjustments, interest rate reductions, time extensions, or payment plans. |
| Importance: 57 (%) | Description: Investigate missing checks, payment histories, held funds, returned checks, or other related issues to resolve client or creditor problems. |
| Importance: 33 (%) | Description: Disburse funds from client accounts to creditors. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Providing Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Advise others on financial matters. | |
| Assess financial status of clients. | |
| Compute debt repayment schedules. | |
| Correspond with customers to answer questions or resolve complaints. | |
| Develop financial plans for clients. | |
| Disburse funds from clients accounts to creditors. | |
| Educate clients on financial planning topics. | |
| Examine financial records. | |
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures. | |
| Interpret financial information for others. | |
| Interview clients to gather financial information. | |
| Negotiate agreements to resolve disputes. | |
| Prepare contracts or other transaction documents. | |
| Prepare financial documents. | |
| Recommend investments to clients. | |
| Refer clients to community or social service programs. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Advise others on financial matters. |
| Activity: Assist others to access additional services or resources. |
| Activity: Calculate financial data. |
| Activity: Develop financial or business plans. |
| Activity: Evaluate condition of financial assets, property, or other resources. |
| Activity: Examine financial activities, operations, or systems. |
| Activity: Execute financial transactions. |
| Activity: Explain financial information. |
| Activity: Explain regulations, policies, or procedures. |
| Activity: Interview people to obtain information. |
| Activity: Negotiate contracts or agreements. |
| Activity: Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits. |
| Activity: Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets. |
| Activity: Respond to customer problems or inquiries. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
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| High-Priority Tech Skills | |||||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Outlook | |||||||
| Office suite software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Office software | |||||||
| Presentation software: | |||||||
| Microsoft PowerPoint | |||||||
| Spreadsheet software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Excel | |||||||
| Word processing software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Word | |||||||
| Emerging Tech Skills | |||||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Access | |||||||
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software: | |||||||
| Oracle PeopleSoft SAP software | |||||||
| General Software Tools | |||||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||||
| CoreLogic DebtorTrace LexisNexis Accurint Merlin Information Services databases | |||||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||||
| Email software | |||||||
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Dynamics | |||||||
| Financial analysis software (scroll table below): | |||||||
| |||||||
| Information retrieval or search software: | |||||||
| LexisNexis | |||||||
| Internet browser software: | |||||||
| Web browser software | |||||||
| Network conferencing software: | |||||||
| Chat software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed |
| A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. |
| Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. |
| Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators. |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 31.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 20.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Certifications
| Certifications These are examples of certifications that may be important for this occupation. How can you begin exploring which certifications fit your goals and what steps you would need to take to earn them? |
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Certified Mortgage Consultant
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Certified Mortgage Investigator
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Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist
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Commercial Certified Mortgage Servicer
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General Mortgage Associate
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Residential Certified Mortgage Servicer
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Job Listings
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated)
This section contains detailed resources appropriate to "Credit Counselors". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Credit Counselors
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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