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Important Career Information
People interested in counseling should have a strong desire to help others and should be able to inspire respect, trust, and confidence.
Education and training requirements vary by State and specialty, but a master's degree is required to become a licensed counselor.
Projected job growth varies by specialty, but job opportunities should be favorable as job openings are expected to exceed the number of graduates from counseling programs.
How Much Do Counselors Make? Counselor Salary
Median annual pay of educational, vocational, and school counselors in May 2008 were $51,050. The middle 50 percent were paid between $38,740 and $65,360. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $29,360, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $82,330. School counselors can earn additional income by working summers in the school system or in other jobs
Median annual pay of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in May 2008 were $37,030. The middle 50 percent were paid between $29,410 and $47,290. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $24,240, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $59,460.
Median annual pay of mental health counselors in May 2008 were $36,810. The middle 50 percent were paid between $28,930 and $48,580. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $23,580, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $63,100.
Median annual pay of rehabilitation counselors in May 2008 were $30,930. The middle 50 percent were paid between $24,110 and $41,240. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $20,150, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $56,550.
Median annual pay of marriage and family therapists in May 2008 were $44,590. The middle 50 percent were paid between $34,840 and $56,320. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $27,810, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $70,830.
How much counselors make depends on many factors. Self-employed counselors who have well-established practices, as well as counselors employed in group practices, usually have the highest pay.
What does a Counselor do?
Counseling Jobs, Job Description, and Responsibilities
A counselor assists people with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions and problems. A counselor's duties depend on the individuals they serve and on the settings in which they work.
An educational, vocational, and school counselor provides individuals and groups with career and educational counseling. In school settings—elementary through postsecondary—a counselor usually is called a school counselor, and they work with students, including those with academic and social development problems and those with special needs. A counselor is an advocate for students and works with other individuals and organizations to promote the academic, career, personal, and social development of children and youths. A school counselor helps students evaluate their abilities, interests, talents, and personality characteristics in order to develop realistic academic and career goals. A counselor uses interviews, counseling sessions, interest and aptitude assessment tests, and other methods to evaluate and advise students. A counselor also operates career information centers and career education programs. A high school counselor advises students regarding college majors, admission requirements, entrance exams, financial aid, trade or technical schools, and apprenticeship programs. A counselor helps students develop job search skills, such as resume writing and interviewing techniques. College career planning and placement counselors assist alumni or students with career development and job-hunting techniques.
An elementary school counselor observes younger children during classroom and play activities and confers with their teachers and parents to evaluate the children's strengths, problems, or special needs. In conjunction with teachers and administrators, a counselor makes sure that the curriculum addresses both the academic and the emotional development needs of students. An elementary school counselor does less vocational and academic counseling than does a secondary school counselor.
A vocational counselor who provides mainly career counseling outside the school setting is also referred to as an employment counselor or career counselor. Their chief focus is helping individuals with career decisions. A vocational counselor explores and evaluates the client's education, training, work history, interests, skills, and personality traits, and arranges for aptitude and achievement tests to assist the client in making career decisions. A vocational counselor also works with individuals to develop their job-search skills, and they assist clients in locating and applying for jobs. In addition, career counselors provide support to persons experiencing job loss, job stress, or other career transition issues.
A rehabilitation counselor helps people deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of disabilities. They counsel people with disabilities resulting from birth defects, illness or disease, accidents, or the stress of daily life. A rehabilitation counselor evaluates the strengths and limitations of individuals, provide personal and vocational counseling, and arrange for medical care, vocational training, and job placement. A rehabilitation counselor interviews both individuals with disabilities and their families, evaluate school and medical reports, and confers and plans with physicians, psychologists,
occupational therapists, and employers to determine the capabilities and skills of the individual. A rehabilitation counselor also works toward increasing the client's capacity to live independently.
A mental health counselor works with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and to promote optimum mental health. These counselors are trained in a variety of therapeutic counseling techniques used to address a wide range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, and marital or other relationship problems. A mental health counselor often works closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors.
A substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor helps people who have problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and eating disorders. They counsel individuals who are addicted to drugs, helping them to identify behaviors and problems related to their addiction. A counselor also conducts programs aimed at preventing addictions from occurring in the first place. These counselors hold sessions designed for individuals, families, or groups.
A marriage and family therapist applies principles, methods, and therapeutic techniques to individuals, families, couples, or organizations in order to resolve emotional conflicts.
Job Working Conditions for Counselors
Some school counselors work the traditional 9- to 10-month school year with a 2- to 3-month vacation, but increasing numbers, especially those working in middle and high schools, are employed on 11-month or full-year contracts. They usually work the same hours as teachers.
Counselors must possess high physical and emotional energy to handle the array of problems that they address. Dealing daily with these problems can cause stress. Although the risk of litigation is relatively low, it is still prudent for a counselor in all fields to hold some form of personal liability insurance. Because privacy is essential for confidential and frank discussions with clients, a counsel usually has private offices.
Counseling Training, College Programs, and Advancement
Some counselors elect to be nationally certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC), which grants the general practice credential "National Certified Counselor." In some States, those who pass the national exam are exempted from taking a State certification exam. NBCC also offers specialty certifications in school, clinical mental health, and addiction counseling, which supplement the national certified counselor designation. These specialty certifications require passage of a supplemental exam. To maintain their certification, counselors retake and pass the NCE or complete 100 credit hours of acceptable continuing education every 5 years.
Other counseling organizations also offer certification in particular counseling specialties. Usually, becoming certified is voluntary, but having certification may enhance one's job prospects.
Where are the Jobs? Counselor Jobs
Counselors held about 601,000 jobs in 2008. Jobs were distributed among the counseling specialties as follows:
Educational, vocational, and school counselors
275,800
Rehabilitation counselors
129,500
Mental health counselors
113,300
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
86,100
Marriage and family therapists
27,300
Counselors, all other
33,400
Job Outlook and Job Opportunities for Counselors
Jobs for school counselors are expected to grow with increases in student enrollments at postsecondary schools and colleges and as more States require elementary schools to employ counselors. Expansion of the responsibilities of a school counselor should also lead to increases in their jobs. For example, counselors are becoming more involved in crisis and preventive counseling, helping students deal with issues ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to death and suicide. Although schools and governments realize the value of a counselor in helping their students to achieve academic success, budget constraints at every school level will dampen job growth of school counselors. However, Federal grants and subsidies may help to offset tight budgets and allow the reduction in student-to-counselor ratios to continue. Job prospects for school counselors should be more favorable in rural and inner-city schools.
Demand for vocational or career counselors should grow as multiple job and career changes become common for specialists and as specialists become increasingly aware of the counselors' services. In addition, State and local governments will employ growing numbers of counselors to assist beneficiaries of welfare programs who exhaust their eligibility and must find jobs. Other opportunities for a counselor will arise in private job-training centers that provide training and other services to laid-off workers and others seeking to acquire new skills or new careers.
Demand is expected to be strong for a substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor because drug offenders are increasingly being sent to treatment programs rather than to jail. A mental health counselor will be needed to staff statewide networks that are being established to improve services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances and for their family members. Under managed care systems, insurance companies are increasingly providing for reimbursement of for counselor as a less costly alternative to psychiatrists and psychologists.
The number of people who will need rehabilitation counseling is expected to grow as advances in medical technology allow more people to survive injury or illness and live independently again. In addition, legislation requiring equal job rights for people with disabilities will spur demand for counselors, who not only help these people make a transition into the workforce but also help companies to comply with the law.
All States require school counselors to hold a State school counseling certification and to have completed at least some graduate course work; most require the completion of a master's degree. Some States require public school counselors to have both counseling and teaching certification and to have had some teaching experience before receiving certification. For counselors based outside of schools, 48 States and the District of Columbia have some form of counselor licensure that governs their practice of counseling. Requirements typically include the completion of a master's degree in counseling, the accumulation of 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience beyond the master's degree level, the passage of a State-recognized exam, adherence to ethical codes and standards, and the completion of annual continuing education requirements.
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Overall jobs for counselors are expected to grow faster than the average for all careers through 2014. In addition, numerous job openings will occur as many counselors retire or leave the profession. While job prospects will vary with location and specialization, opportunities generally should be very good because the number of job openings that arise should exceed the number of graduates of counseling programs. Rehabilitation counselors and substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, in particular, should experience excellent prospects.
Jobs for mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists will grow as more people become comfortable with seeking professional help for a variety of health, personal, and family problems. Employers are also increasingly offering employee assistance programs that provide mental health and alcohol and drug abuse counseling. More people are expected to use these services as society focuses on ways of developing mental well-being, such as controlling stress associated with job and family responsibilities.
All States require school counselors to hold a State school counseling certification and to have completed at least some graduate course work; most require the completion of a master's degree. Some States require public school counselors to have both counseling and teaching certification and to have had some teaching experience before receiving certification. For counselors based outside of schools, 48 States and the District of Columbia have some form of counselor licensure that governs their practice of counseling. Requirements typically include the completion of a master's degree in counseling, the accumulation of 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience beyond the master's degree level, the passage of a State-recognized exam, adherence to ethical codes and standards, and the completion of annual continuing education requirements.
