How to hire an employment counselor

How to hire an employment counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step employment counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an employment counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new employment counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an employment counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your employment counselor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an employment counselor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An employment counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, employment counselors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of employment counselors.

   Type of Employment Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Employment Counselor	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.	$12-34
   Clinician	A clinician specializes in providing diagnosis, treatment, and direct care to patients with different illnesses. A clinician's duties mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis, providing medical care through various therapies, and improving one's overall health condition... Show more	$16-49
   Licensed Professional Counselor	A licensed professional counselor is a healthcare professional who specializes in providing therapy and counseling to patients with emotional and mental health issues. They listen to their patients and utilize various techniques to address concerns and help through the healing procedures... Show more	$35-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Litigation
   • Employment Law
   • HR
   • Employment Litigation
   • FLSA
   • Training Programs
   • FMLA
   • Rehabilitation
   • DOL
   • Community Resources
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Background Checks
   • Supportive Services
   • Workforce Solutions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Complete reports, manage client files and process WIA billing invoices for tuition and supplies.
   • Manage a caseload of Calworks participants in working towards the goal of self-sufficiency and employment.
   • Monitor caseworkers to ensure rehabilitation services are properly coordinate to aid clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
   • Source, develop, and implement HRIS systems.
   • Provide case management to TANF recipients that move clients to employment.
   • Document in accordance with JCAHO, Medicaid, and all quality improvement standards.

   More employment counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the employment counselor job description is a good way to get more applicants. An employment counselor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an employment counselor in Iowa may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level employment counselor. Additionally, an employment counselor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average employment counselor salary

   $43,848yearly

   $21.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level employment counselor salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average employment counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$82,416	$40
   2	District of Columbia	$65,572	$32
   3	Pennsylvania	$60,168	$29
   4	New York	$59,468	$29
   5	Washington	$59,043	$28
   6	Maryland	$55,925	$27
   7	Massachusetts	$55,511	$27
   8	Texas	$49,622	$24
   9	North Carolina	$46,351	$22
   10	Georgia	$43,053	$21
   11	Arizona	$42,186	$20
   12	Ohio	$41,988	$20
   13	Michigan	$41,733	$20
   14	Minnesota	$40,937	$20
   15	Kansas	$38,142	$18
   16	Indiana	$37,882	$18
   17	South Carolina	$36,234	$17

   Average employment counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$144,122	$69.29	17
   2	TripActions	$138,443	$66.56
   3	Smartsheet	$132,588	$63.74
   4	Applied Materials	$114,369	$54.99	13
   5	AARP	$112,376	$54.03	4
   6	Sempra Energy	$107,496	$51.68
   7	Novo Nordisk	$101,161	$48.64	2
   8	Thomson Reuters	$92,147	$44.30
   9	John Wiley & Sons	$85,217	$40.97
   10	Allison Transmission	$85,007	$40.87
   11	Corning Incorporated	$84,690	$40.72
   12	TASER Self-Defense	$77,149	$37.09
   13	National Express	$70,309	$33.80	3
   14	Reckitt Benckiser	$67,446	$32.43
   15	Informa Plc	$66,564	$32.00
   16	Veolia Water Tech	$66,527	$31.98	2
   17	Curo Health Services	$66,100	$31.78
   18	Kindred at Home	$66,071	$31.76
   19	Johns Manville	$59,844	$28.77
   20	The Walt Disney Company	$58,864	$28.30	12

4. Writing an employment counselor job description

   A good employment counselor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an employment counselor job description:

   Employment counselor job description example

   Labcorp -- a global leading life sciences company whose mission is improving health, improving lives -- is seeking to hire a lawyer specializing in employment law to provide legal advice and counsel to Labcorp's US operations. As the Employment Counsel, you will be responsible for providing advice and counsel on a wide variety of employment law issues for our domestic US operations. Your responsibilities will include:
   
   Providing legal advice and support to Human Resources department and other stakeholders in relation to a broad range of employee related issues, such as recruitment, background screening, benefits, employee conduct and terminations.
   
   Reviewing and drafting employment related documentation such as employment contracts, termination agreements, employee policies and training materials.
   
   Managing the company's position in government administrative proceedings including EEO, NLRB and OSHA.
   
   Advising in relation to employee relations matters, including investigations, conduct issues and disciplinary matters.
   
   Providing legal advice with respect to potential litigation and legal risks, coordinating and managing litigation matters.
   
   Advising when it is appropriate to engage external counsel and thereafter engaging and coordinating external counsel.
   Providing training to HR and other business areas as required. The position will report to Vice President, Employment Law.
   Your skills and experience
   
   You are expected to possess the following
   Lawyer with 2-4 years of experience either with a reputed law firm or as an in-house employment lawyer. Sound knowledge of wide range of federal, state, and local labor and employment laws, including, but not limited to, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, ERISA, NLRA, and statutes and regulations, and other labor and employment laws regarding hiring, termination, discipline, discrimination, retaliation, wages, restrictive covenants and other key areas Experience in advising on complex employment related disputes and issues. Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Excellent drafting and legal interpretation skills. Sound analytical skills to review matters and identify key legal issues. Have a risk spotting mindset with a dedicated approach to compliance and ethical issues. Ability to effectively manage external counsel when required. Effective time management and organizations skills. Be able to partner across teams, to provide practical advice and solutions. Must be pro-active, be able to work independently and possess the initiative to drive projects and matters forward to resolution. Dedication to fostering an inclusive culture and value diverse perspectives. Proven ability to take a proactive long-term view of business goals and objectives in order to achieve strategic business results. Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Graduate of an accredited and recognized Law School and member in good standing with a State Bar Council. Local candidates strongly preferred.
   Position Location The position will be located in Burlington, NC; however, we offer flexible scheduling and remote working alternatives. Labcorp is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer: As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status. For more information about how we collect and store your personal data, please see our Privacy Statement.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find employment counselors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any employment counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level employment counselors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your employment counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit employment counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting employment counselors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new employment counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the employment counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new employment counselor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an employment counselor?