How to hire a family counselor

How to hire a family counselor, step by step

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

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

What does a family counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a family counselor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A family counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, family 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 presents family counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Family Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Family Counselor	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	$12-29
   Counselor/Art Therapist	A counselor/art therapist is responsible for conducting art sessions as part of patients' therapy treatments, letting them express their human nature and emotions through artistic discovery. Counselors/art therapists guide the patients throughout their recovery process, identifying their needs and conditions by analyzing their crafts... Show more	$26-52
   Counselor Internship	When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision... Show more	$14-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Community Resources
   • POC
   • Family Support
   • Family Therapy
   • DOD
   • Group Supervision
   • Action Planning
   • Behavior Management
   • Substance Abuse
   • Child Development
   • Health Fairs
   • Stress Management
   • Family Life

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
   • Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
   • Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
   • Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
   • Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
   • Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

   More family counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the family counselor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A family 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 a family counselor in Tennessee may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level family counselor. Additionally, a family counselor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average family counselor salary

   $41,510yearly

   $19.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level family counselor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average family counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$53,890	$26
   2	Oregon	$51,691	$25
   3	Texas	$50,095	$24
   4	Alabama	$47,371	$23
   5	Colorado	$46,134	$22
   6	Illinois	$45,441	$22
   7	District of Columbia	$44,947	$22
   8	West Virginia	$44,130	$21
   9	Virginia	$43,376	$21
   10	Georgia	$41,713	$20
   11	Hawaii	$41,638	$20
   12	Nevada	$41,469	$20
   13	Michigan	$41,413	$20
   14	California	$40,787	$20
   15	Delaware	$39,882	$19
   16	Mississippi	$39,183	$19
   17	New Mexico	$38,380	$18
   18	North Carolina	$37,950	$18
   19	Massachusetts	$37,550	$18
   20	Ohio	$36,823	$18

   Average family counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab	$53,293	$25.62
   2	Leidos	$50,691	$24.37	117
   3	Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan	$47,163	$22.67
   4	Broward County Public Schools	$45,372	$21.81	3
   5	University of Rochester	$44,971	$21.62	79
   6	Zeiders Enterprises	$44,111	$21.21	12
   7	Children's Home & Aid	$42,902	$20.63
   8	Seneca Resources	$41,896	$20.14	41
   9	Youth Villages	$40,551	$19.50	77
   10	Spectrum Health	$39,619	$19.05	8
   11	The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh	$39,422	$18.95	2
   12	The Cove School	$39,420	$18.95
   13	SCO Family of Services	$39,164	$18.83	44
   14	CHILDREN'S BUREAU INC	$38,747	$18.63
   15	Seneca Companies	$38,246	$18.39	24
   16	Sweetser	$37,751	$18.15	15
   17	Chenega	$37,737	$18.14	8
   18	Victor	$37,737	$18.14	3
   19	Children's Home Society of Florida	$37,588	$18.07	32
   20	Serco	$37,147	$17.86

4. Writing a family counselor job description

   A job description for a family counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a family counselor job description:

   Family counselor job description example

   Job DescriptionThe Family Reunification Program Family Worker provides strength-based, solution-focused home-based counseling services to children and families.
   Counties for this position include: Ingham, Eaton, Livingston, Ionia and Clinton. **Incentive Bonus of $1000 received after completion of first 90 days. You will also receive an additional $500 upon working six months with Highfields.
   Success in the role is measured on: Ability to engage with children and families. Ability to develop and implement practical and effective interventions with children and families. Ability to provide services with model adherence. Ability to meet expected unit threshold of an average of 2.0 hours of direct services per week with each family served. Ability to meet expected case documentation requirements. Ability to maintain compliance with agency and contractual training and licensure requirements.
   
   Essential Functions: Engage with children and families, assisting them to improve their functioning. Provide home-based counseling services to families at a level that is in compliance with the model and meets contractual expectations including unit thresholds and documentation requirements. Interact with clients in non-traditional settings and during non-traditional hours. Represent clients served and Highfields through interacting with referral sources. Provide crisis intervention, safety planning and support.
   
   Knowledge or Experience: Must attend and participate in FRP specific training and have the ability to understand, practice and implement a solution focused approaches to treatment.
   
   Minimum Qualifications / Experience: A Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science. Experience in providing counseling services with children and families. Demonstrated ability to provide services during non-traditional work hours.
   
   Education / Certifications: State licensure commensurate with degree preferred. An understanding, commitment and/or training in strength-based, solution-focused treatment models.
   
   Travel Requirements Extensive travel to clients’ homes is required. Must have reliable transportation. Must maintain adequate insurance coverage. Must have/maintain a valid driver’s license and fewer than 6 points on record.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right family counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit family counselors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 family counselor

   Once you've decided on a perfect family counselor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new family 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 a family counselor?