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What is a lead residential counselor and how to become one
What general advice would you give to a lead residential counselor?
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University
Avg. Salary $36,902
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%
Asian 3.23%
Black or African American 11.28%
Hispanic or Latino 12.21%
Unknown 5.91%
White 67.00%
Genderfemale 58.66%
male 41.34%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Lead residential counselor career paths
Key steps to become a lead residential counselor
Explore lead residential counselor education requirements
Start to develop specific lead residential counselor skills
Skills Percentages Autism 15.81% Social Work 14.61% Medication Administration 9.50% Crisis Intervention 8.58% CPR 7.70% Complete relevant lead residential counselor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead residential 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 lead residential counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead residential counselor resumes.Research lead residential counselor duties and responsibilities
- Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
- Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
- Assist in maintaining IEP goals in order to avoid regression.
- Deliver evidence-based treatment to children with ADHD and other behavioral disorders.
Get lead residential counselor experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead residential counselor. The most common roles before becoming a lead residential counselor include residential counselor, internship team lead and cashier.Prepare your lead residential counselor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead residential counselor resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead residential counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable lead residential counselor resume templates
Build a professional lead residential counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead residential counselor resume.
Apply for lead residential counselor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a lead residential 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
How did you land your first lead residential counselor job
Are you a lead residential counselor?
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Average lead residential counselor salary
The average lead residential counselor salary in the United States is $36,902 per year or $18 per hour. Lead residential counselor salaries range between $29,000 and $46,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do lead residential counselors rate their job?
Lead residential counselor reviews
The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.
To help most people out of their respective concern.
I don't like people perishing, especially the teenagers.
The over documentation required by DHS that robs the quality time needed in intervention and treatment. This lopsided demand makes the term “best practices” mere bureaucratic lip service without the means to actually deliver quality hands on services.
Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.
Updated January 8, 2025
