Financial Counsellor
Financial counsellors help people in financial hardship work out exactly what they owe, negotiate with creditors and rebuild a workable budget.
- Median salary*
- $56,900
4.2%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,300
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +8.5%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 37.5/wk
−2.5h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- In shortage (regional)
national
Financial counsellors give free, non-judgemental support to people in financial difficulty, from mounting debt and unpaid bills to loans they can no longer afford. Unlike a financial adviser, who is licensed to recommend financial products and charges a fee, a financial counsellor sells nothing and works only in the client's interest. Most are based in community organisations, charities or government agencies, and many clients arrive through referrals from crisis services, family violence services or their local council.
How much do financial counsellors earn?
The median full-time salary for a financial counsellor is $56,900 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
Most financial counsellors work in not-for-profit community services funded through government programs, so pay tends to follow the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award rather than what the private sector pays for similar skills. Your classification under that award, and how many years you have in the sector, move the figure more than performance does. Government departments and larger charities generally sit further up the scale than a small local service.
What does a financial counsellor do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Sitting with clients to map out exactly what they owe, to whom, and what comes in each week
- Calling creditors to negotiate a hardship arrangement, a payment pause or a debt waiver on a client's behalf
- Explaining credit, debt collection and bankruptcy law in plain language, so a client can see which options they actually have
- Referring clients to legal aid, family violence services or mental health support when money trouble is only part of the picture
- Keeping case notes and counselling plans in order for the funding body and any legal reporting requirements
What skills do financial counsellors need?
Employers look for budgeting and forecasting, financial analysis and modelling, regulatory compliance, backed by Microsoft Excel fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Financial analysis and modelling
- Regulatory compliance
Software and tools
- Microsoft Excel
- budgeting software (e.g. MoneyHelper, Moneytree)
- case management systems
- debt tracking spreadsheets
- phone and video conferencing platforms
General skills
- Written communication
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Client relationships and advisory
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 1,300 people work as financial counsellors in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 8.5% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a financial counsellor?
Here's the path most financial counsellors take, step by step.
- 1Complete a Diploma of Financial Counselling
The CHC51122 diploma is the qualification most services ask for, and it includes around 220 hours of supervised placement. TAFE and several private providers offer it, some with online study, so it can be done around existing work.
- 2Check the accreditation rules in your state
Financial counselling is regulated through state and territory peak bodies and the requirements differ, with some states expecting accreditation before you can work in a funded service. Sorting this out early can affect which placement you take.
- 3Find a first role in a community organisation
Entry jobs sit mostly with not-for-profits, local councils and government agencies, and intakes often run through traineeships or cadetships. Many counsellors arrive from welfare work, case management or a bank hardship team rather than straight from study.
- 4Add further study if you want to move up
A degree in social work, community services, business or law opens management, policy and training roles. Some counsellors complete one part time while working, since the diploma alone tends to cap how far you can go in larger organisations.
Ready to apply as a financial counsellor?
Whether you're working toward becoming a financial counsellor or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a financial counsellor move to?
Moving into Community Services Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $57,000 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Services Manager Financial counselling experience plus a new degree can lead to managing community services teams. | +$57,000 | 33% | requalify |
| Mediator A financial counsellor's negotiation and advocacy skills transfer directly to mediating disputes, requiring only a short mediation course. | +$39,300 | 47% | short course |
| Personal Banker Understanding credit, debt and client hardship helps a financial counsellor move into personal banking with a short course. | +$26,800 | 60% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a financial counsellor?
The typical financial counsellor is 50 years old; 74% are women, 59% work full-time, and full-timers average 37.5 hours a week.
- 50
- Median age
- 74%
- Female share
- 59%
- Full-time
- −2.5h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a financial counsellor?
The work runs on appointments, and a day can move from a routine budget session to a call from someone whose electricity is about to be cut off, so it suits people who stay organised through both. Much of it is slow, because a hardship negotiation can take weeks of phone calls and a client's circumstances can change again before it settles. Counsellors who stay in the role tend to be comfortable with credit law and paperwork, and able to put a difficult story down at the end of the day.
What people like
- A debt that stops growing. When a bank agrees to freeze interest or waive a debt, the client's next few months change, and it is clear which phone call did it.
- The law is on your side. Hardship provisions, the credit code and bankruptcy law give you real leverage with a creditor, and part of the skill is knowing which one applies and saying so.
- No two situations are the same. A sole trader with a tax debt and a family juggling a car loan and a payday lender need completely different plans, so the work rarely becomes routine.
- You are one part of a response. Referrals to legal aid, housing or family violence services mean you are not the only person trying to fix a situation that has more than one cause.
What people find hard
- The weight of what clients bring. People often arrive at their worst moment, and the details do not disappear when the appointment ends. Supervision and a supportive team matter more here than in most jobs.
- More demand than the service can meet. Waitlists are normal, and some weeks go on deciding who is seen first rather than on the work you trained for.
- Progress happens on someone else's timeline. An arrangement depends on the creditor's decision, and a plan can unwind when a car breaks down or a housemate moves out.
- Funders want the paperwork. Case notes, outcome reporting and acquittals take hours that would otherwise go to clients, and the format is set by whoever funds the service.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ financial counsellors?
Community Services employs the largest share of financial counsellors, followed by Financial & Insurance Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Community Services
- 2Financial & Insurance Services
- 3Government Administration
- 4Non-profit & Charitable Organisations
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace financial counsellors?
Financial counselling sits at the low end of AI exposure, because almost all of it happens in a conversation with someone in crisis. Software already sorts bank statements and totals debts, and templates can draft a standard letter to a creditor, which saves administrative time. What it cannot do is assess a household's situation, decide which debts matter most, or push a bank's hardship team towards an outcome it would rather avoid.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Client appointments and case workThe questions, the listening and the judgement about what a client can commit to happen face to face, and that is where the hour goes.40%low
- Negotiating with creditorsA hardship negotiation is a conversation with a bank officer who has discretion, and persistence on the phone still gets debts waived that a form does not.25%low
- Budgets, case notes and funding reportsStatements can be uploaded and categorised automatically, but the note still has to explain why circumstances changed and what was agreed.20%moderate
- Advice on credit, debt collection and bankruptcy lawWorking out how the legislation applies to one client's debts and which concession they qualify for is judgement work, even when the research itself is quick.15%low
Common questions about becoming a financial counsellor
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do financial counsellors earn?
Financial counsellors earn a median of $56,900 per year before tax, based on full-time workers, so treat that as a guide rather than a starting rate. Most are employed under the community services award, which means your classification and years in the sector move the figure more than anything else.
How do you become a financial counsellor?
The usual route is the Diploma of Financial Counselling (CHC51122), which includes a supervised placement of roughly 220 hours. Check your state peak body's accreditation requirements before you enrol, because they vary, and many people enter after time in welfare work, case management or a bank hardship team.
Are financial counsellors in demand?
Financial counsellors are currently in shortage in regional areas, and employment is projected to grow 8.5% over the decade to 2035. Most positions sit inside funded community services, so the number of openings depends on government program funding as much as on client demand.
Will AI replace financial counsellors?
Exposure is low. AI changes the paperwork, sorting and categorising bank statements and drafting standard letters to creditors, but the assessment, the negotiation and the call about what a client can realistically manage are conversations. Applying credit and bankruptcy law to one household's circumstances is judgement work.
What can a financial counsellor move into later?
Mediation uses the same negotiation and advocacy skills, typically pays $39,300 more and needs only a short course. Hardship roles in personal banking pay $26,800 more and value your credit knowledge, and community services management pays $57,000 more once you hold further qualifications. People also move the other way, from case management, housing work or welfare roles, after completing the diploma.
What is the difference between a financial counsellor and a financial adviser?
A financial adviser is licensed to recommend financial products and is paid a fee or commission, while a financial counsellor gives free, independent advice and sells nothing. Counsellors work on debt, hardship and creditors' obligations rather than on investments or superannuation strategy.
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