How To Become A Dormitory Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dormitory counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a dormitory counselor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.32 an hour? That's $40,177 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 28,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a dormitory counselor?

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University

Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.

ScoreDormitory CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,177

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.95%

Asian 8.28%

Black or African American 17.09%

Hispanic or Latino 12.55%

Unknown 5.76%

White 55.38%

Gender

female 69.09%

male 30.91%

Age - 21

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 21

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a dormitory counselor

Explore dormitory counselor education requirements

Most common dormitory counselor degrees

Bachelor's

68.8 %

Master's

16.7 %

High School Diploma

8.3 %

Start to develop specific dormitory counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	62.37%
Crisis Intervention	37.63%

Complete relevant dormitory counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dormitory counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dormitory counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dormitory counselor resumes.

Research dormitory counselor duties and responsibilities

Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Apply for dormitory counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a dormitory counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams