If you are thinking of becoming a counselor, you have several decisions ahead of you, among them are what program will you choose? which specialty will you engage in? what type of workplace environment do you choose? The answers to these questions will inform your life’s work and how much a counselor makes in an hour or a year. Most individuals pursue a career in counseling because they are compelled to help others through life’s challenges, while others do it to only make money. Stay tuned to know how much a counselor makes in Texas and California.
Overview
The answer to the question “How much does a counselor make?” differs significantly, depending on several factors including an individual’s career choice. It may also depend upon whether that person has a master’s degree, since higher education may open the door to a wider array of job opportunities. In addition, counselor salaries for different individuals vary by state, city, specialization, employer, and experience level. In essence, becoming a counselor enables you to earn a broad spectrum of salaries in various specialties, each of which engages unique domains of expertise.
How to Become a Counselor: Responsibilities
Counselors are people who help others. Across specialties and state lines, they empower clients to overcome obstacles thereby improving their overall quality of life. Responsibilities in the profession vary from role to role, as do counseling methods. While some counselors focus on mental health, others are trained to provide services to people with addictions. Your counseling salary will depend on which role you decide to pursue.
How to Become a Counselor
Here are some common steps you can take to become a counselor,
- Earn a bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree is typically required for most counseling professions.
- Pursue a master’s degree in counseling: Although not always required, online master’s in counseling degree programs help aspiring counselors obtain the necessary professional skills and knowledge.
- Complete practicum and/or internship hours: Gain real-life experience in the field. Required field hours vary depending on the counseling career.
- Choose a counseling career path: Pinpoint what you’re most passionate about whether that’s school counseling, substance abuse counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or another specialization. Once an area of interest has been identified, begin to research a master’s in counseling salary for positions within that specialization.
- Obtain counseling licensure and/or certification: Meet the specific requirements for your state. The process of obtaining licensure varies from state to state, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the relevant terms.
- Advance your practice through continued learning: Stay on top of innovations within the field, to provide the best care possible. Completing continuing education credits may be one way to do so. You may also consider Ph.D. programs in counseling, of which there is a wide selection.
Ultimately, a counselor’s salary will depend upon the level of knowledge and experience the job applicant has accumulated throughout their career.
What Is the Difference Between a Therapist and a Counselor?
Counselors tend to offer short-term care, while therapists tend to offer long-term care. Therapists can be more past-focused and counselors more future-focused. Counselors often have a set number of sessions, and therapists often work on an ongoing basis. Therapists are more likely to treat mental health conditions.
How Much Does a Counselor Make an Hour
The average hourly wage for a Counselor in the United States is $37 as of May 25, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $34 and $42. The hourly rate can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
How Much Does a Counselor Make a Year
The average counselor salary across all specialty areas in the United States in 2020 was $51,983 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most counselors have at least a master’s-level education, but the requirements may be different depending on what type of counseling career you choose to pursue.
How Much Do Counselors Make a Year in Various Specialties?
There is something you will figure out immediately as you start searching for answers to the question, how much do counselors make: There are a lot of different kinds of counselors earning salaries that fall within a fairly broad range. Even the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the part of the federal government that tracks salaries by profession, doesn’t try to come up with just one number for all counselors. Instead, they define different broad groups of counselors, and track the salary statistics for each of them independently:
#1. Mental Health Counselor
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for substance abuse counselors, behavioral disorder counselors, and mental health counselors was $44,630 in 2018. Because of an increase in the number of individuals seeking addiction and mental health counseling, jobs in this field are expected to grow 23 percent through 26, which is much faster than average compared to all other occupations.
#2. Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
These counselors are primarily involved with mental health and addiction issues. They may lead group counseling in settings like prisons or recovery centers, or work with individuals one-on-one in hospitals, clinics, or private practice. The group also includes behavioral counselors who work with kids with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
#3. Rehabilitation counselors
This group of counselors assists people with physical, mental, or developmental problems in gaining or regaining lost functions and the ability to live happier, more independent lives. They often work individually with clients in their homes or in rehabilitation facilities and assess people by their abilities, interests, and health to develop unique treatment plans. They may assist in acquiring additional services and support from other resources.
#4. School and Career Counselors
This is probably the broadest group of counselors. School counselors work at every level of education, helping kids adjust to the educational system, addressing behavioral issues in school, looking out for signs of difficulty at home, and counseling or referring kids out for additional assistance.
They also engage in some career advising and preparation for entering college or the workforce. Career counselors take over at that point, working with individuals to find their ideal workplace or career aptitudes, assisting with retraining, or helping with job hunting.
#5. Career Counselor
Career counselors use aptitude and achievement assessments to help students or clients evaluate their interests, skills, and abilities. These counselors help to develop realistic goals for their students and clients, as well as evaluate their backgrounds, education, and training. They guide students in making decisions about careers, such as choosing an occupation and the type of degree to pursue.
Individuals in this role also help students to select and apply for educational programs in order to obtain the necessary degrees, credentials, and skills needed to succeed in professional settings. They also assist with locating and applying for jobs, teach how to interview and network for jobs and inform about strategies that will be helpful in finding openings and writing a resume.
#6. Crisis Counselor
Crisis counselors assist overwhelmed clients with retrieving a sense of control in the aftermath of a personal crisis, disaster, or traumatic event. Individuals in this role work on a discrete individual basis with their clients to ensure their safety and overall stability.
More broadly, crisis counselors work to provide their clients with emotional support by offering measured feedback and assistance on how best to live life in the wake of a crisis. Overall, these counselors help to solve problems and assist individuals in obtaining available resources.
Is Being a Counselor Stressful?
Helping clients can be a rewarding part of being a therapist, but it may also contribute to some stress. For example, you may encounter stressful situations when communicating with patients in highly emotional states. You can manage your stress levels as a therapist by implementing stress management techniques.
How Much Does a Counselor Make in California
California is one of the most recent states to begin licensing professional Counsellors. To practice as a licensed Counselor in California you must fulfill all of the requirements set out by the California Board of Behavioural Sciences to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. The average annual salary for a Counselor in California is about $55,170. Those working at an entry-level position can expect to earn around $22,420 which can increase to about $109,750 when working in a senior position. The average hourly wage for Counselors in the state of California is $26.52.
How Do I Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in California?
In order to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in California you must first graduate with a Masters’s Degree in Counseling, your chosen Masters’s program must have included a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework. As part of your Master’s degree, you must have completed coursework in at least 10 out of 13 core areas stipulated by the California Board of Behavioral Science.
Beyond this, it must also have included coursework covering the following topics: child abuse, partner abuse, human sexuality, and gender and again and long-term care. While studying for your Masters’s Degree you must also complete six hours of fieldwork. After you have finished your Master’s degree, register as an intern while you complete the necessary 3,000 hours of supervised professional practice. At least 150 of these hours must be done in either a hospital or community agency.
The final step after graduating and attaining the supervised hours needed to qualify for licensure is to sit the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination and the California Law and Ethics Examination. Once you have passed the two exams you have met all of the necessary stipulations and can go ahead and apply for licensure.
How Much Does a Counselor Make in Texas
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is a licensure for mental health professionals in some countries. Licensed professional counselors (LPCs) are doctoral and master’s-level mental health service providers, trained to work with individuals, families, and groups in treating mental, behavioral, and emotional problems and disorders.
How much does a Licensed Professional Counselor (LCPC) make in Texas?
The average Licensed Professional Counselor (LCPC) salary in Texas is $69,865 as of May 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $62,958 and $77,618. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors. Which includes education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession.
How Much Does a Clinical Counselor Make in Texas?
The average salary for a mental health counselor in Texas and California is around $41,560 per year.
What Type of Counsellor Gets Paid the Most?
The highest-paid counselor in Texas are,
- Pediatric counselor.
- Licensed clinical social worker.
- Direct support professional.
- Therapist.
- Physician assistant.
- Mental health counselor.
- Registered nurse.
- Physical therapist.
Why Choose Counseling as a Profession?
The most rewarding part of being a counselor in Texas is affecting the life of another human being. Inspiring others to be all that they are capable of being so that they can go out into the world and pay it forward by helping others.
What Do Counselors Do in a Day?
They meet with clients Face-to-Face and online during their sessions, to review how the client is feeling. Depending on their counseling theory, they may let the patient guide conversation, or they might lead the conversation toward a particular topic.
References
