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

What is a phone counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a phone counselor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.41 an hour? That's $38,285 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 64,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a phone counselor?

Dr. Tiffany Bainter PhD LCPC NCC

Associate Professor, Western Illinois University

Starting a career in counseling is a fulfilling journey but comes with its own set of challenges. My advice to graduates stepping into this field would be to prioritize self-care. It's crucial to maintain a healthy balance between your professional and personal life, especially when dealing with emotionally taxing situations. Seek supervision and mentorship regularly; having guidance from experienced professionals can provide invaluable insights and support as you navigate your counseling career. Additionally, stay open to continuous learning. The field of counseling is dynamic, with new research and techniques emerging constantly. Pursue opportunities for further education, attend workshops, and stay updated with the latest developments in the field. Cultivate empathy and cultural competence to better understand and connect with clients from diverse backgrounds. Building strong therapeutic relationships based on trust and empathy is at the core of effective counseling practice. Lastly, remember to advocate for mental health awareness and the importance of access to quality mental health services. Being a counselor goes beyond individual sessions; it involves being an advocate for your clients' well-being within the larger societal context.

ScorePhone CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,285

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

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%

Gender

female 76.58%

male 23.42%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a phone counselor

Explore phone counselor education requirements

Most common phone counselor degrees

Bachelor's

67.8 %

Master's

14.2 %

Associate

8.8 %

Start to develop specific phone counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	26.51%
Crisis Calls	22.80%
Crisis Planning	9.58%
Crisis Intervention	8.55%
Suicide Prevention	7.83%

Complete relevant phone counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New phone 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 phone counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real phone counselor resumes.

Research phone counselor duties and responsibilities

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Provide individual assessments, treatment planning and psychotherapy services to culturally diverse adult female population in need of rehabilitation services.
Listen to clients' concerns about HIV/AIDS relate treatment.
Facilitate groups of children with ADHD and also a self-esteem group for adults.

Prepare your phone counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your phone 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 phone 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 phone counselor resume templates

Build a professional phone 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 phone counselor resume.