How to hire a program counselor

How to hire a program counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step program 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 program counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new program counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a program counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The program counselor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a program counselor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a program counselor that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of program counselor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Program Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Program 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.	$15-27
   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
   Student Support Counselor	A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives... Show more	$13-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Patients
   • Community Integration
   • CPR
   • Social Work
   • Medication Administration
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Substance Abuse
   • Behavioral Interventions
   • Behavioral Issues
   • Compassion
   • Direct Care
   • Physical Disabilities
   • Relapse Prevention

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
   • Provide education, within hospital setting, to adolescent psychiatric patients regarding substance abuse and dependency issues.
   • Receive CPR and first aid certifications.
   • Attend and receive CPR and basic restraint technique certifications.
   • Assist each client with compassion to encourage them on their journey to recovery.
   • Encourage and mentore residents during their recovery and rehabilitation process.

   More program counselor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average program counselor salary

   $43,820yearly

   $21.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level program counselor salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average program counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$53,266	$26
   2	California	$52,821	$25
   3	Arizona	$51,910	$25
   4	District of Columbia	$50,940	$24
   5	Virginia	$49,740	$24
   6	Michigan	$49,053	$24
   7	Utah	$48,449	$23
   8	Massachusetts	$45,177	$22
   9	New Jersey	$43,935	$21
   10	Minnesota	$43,819	$21
   11	Colorado	$43,657	$21
   12	Maryland	$42,394	$20
   13	Illinois	$41,668	$20
   14	Connecticut	$41,400	$20
   15	Delaware	$40,906	$20
   16	North Carolina	$40,428	$19
   17	Alaska	$39,317	$19

   Average program counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Russell Sage College	$58,524	$28.14
   2	Legal Services	$58,190	$27.98	4
   3	Lake County	$53,110	$25.53	19
   4	Columbia College	$52,714	$25.34	3
   5	Brennan Center for Justice	$50,451	$24.26	3
   6	American Civil Liberties Union Foundation	$49,667	$23.88	1
   7	Prison Fellowship	$49,359	$23.73	3
   8	Vidant Health	$48,439	$23.29	4
   9	Kern Community College District	$48,067	$23.11	7
   10	City of St. Clair Shores	$46,917	$22.56	3
   11	PSEA	$46,404	$22.31	18
   12	Barnstable, Massachusetts	$45,793	$22.02
   13	Village of Lincolnwood	$45,601	$21.92
   14	Spectrum Health	$45,508	$21.88	5
   15	LADO	$45,142	$21.70
   16	St. Peter's Health	$45,026	$21.65	1
   17	Greater Minnesota Family Services	$44,970	$21.62	12
   18	Central California Legal Services	$44,767	$21.52
   19	LA State University Continuing	$44,521	$21.40	72
   20	Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health	$44,410	$21.35	1

4. Writing a program counselor job description

   A program counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a program counselor job description:

   Program counselor job description example

   Want to make a difference? Join an organization that has been transforming lives for over 40 years!

   Prison Fellowship® trains and inspires churches and communities—inside and outside of prison—to support the restoration of those affected by incarceration. We equip correctional leaders, volunteers, and incarcerated men and women to make prisons more rehabilitative places; we advocate for a more restorative criminal justice system; and we collaborate with churches and local service providers to support former prisoners, their families, and their communities.

   What we are looking for:

   A driven and mission focused men’s prison Program Counselor to provide instruction of the Prison Fellowship Academy curriculum at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes, MN. The successful candidate will have a solid understanding of basic principles of the Christian faith and meet the following job requirements:

   • Proven ability to deliver a classroom curriculum to participating offenders using adult learning techniques
   • Demonstrated ability to provide case planning and management for program participants within the prison
   • College degree in Behavioral Science or 6+ years of experience working with at-risk individuals, people who are incarcerated, or other relevant population
   • Cross cultural sensitivity and experience
   • Training and experience with substance abuse/recovery process
   • Excellent written and oral communication/presentation skills

   What we offer:

   A team oriented, mission driven, supportive environment with cutting edge technology solutions and tremendous opportunity for growth and development. Our outstanding benefits package includes paid leave starting at 39 days (14 holidays, 15 vacation days, 10 sick days), retirement account funding and much more!

   Visit the employment page on our website to learn more about Prison Fellowship.

   Check out our YouTube channel to see how Prison Fellowship is transforming lives!

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find program counselors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with program counselor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 program counselor

   Once you've selected the best program counselor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new program counselor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 program counselor?