How to hire a student services counselor

How to hire a student services counselor, step by step

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

What does a student services counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The student services 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

   A student services counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, student services 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 student services counselors.

   Type of Student Services Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Services 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.	$12-28
   Student Worker	Student workers are students who are employed while also enrolled at the university. They usually work in a department or college where they handle different tasks... Show more	$9-16
   Counselor	Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being... Show more	$9-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Financial Aid
   • Student Services
   • Social Work
   • Rehabilitation
   • Mental Health
   • Student Accounts
   • Professional Development
   • Student Health
   • Office Equipment
   • Support Services
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Course Selection
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in all aspects of the FAFSA, insuring that every eligible student apply accurately.
   • Verify FAFSA applications for accuracy.
   • Plan retention and recruitment opportunities for students, prospective employers and alumni through interdepartmental and professional cooperative efforts.
   • Create, construct and maintain a student info PowerPoint presentation.
   • Draft general email correspondence, introduction/thank you letters, excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
   • Develop formal policies/procedures for daily operations such as program approvals/tracking, financial tracking systems, staff meetings and leadership opportunities.

   More student services counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your student services counselor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A student services counselor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, student services counselors' average salary in oklahoma is 53% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level student services counselors 55% less than senior-level student services counselors.
   • Certifications. A student services counselor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a student services counselor's salary.

   Average student services counselor salary

   $41,175yearly

   $19.80 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level student services counselor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average student services counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$48,514	$23
   2	California	$48,208	$23
   3	Virginia	$46,546	$22
   4	New York	$44,776	$22
   5	Vermont	$42,668	$21
   6	Pennsylvania	$40,400	$19
   7	Maine	$37,306	$18
   8	Wisconsin	$35,943	$17
   9	Ohio	$34,428	$17
   10	Arizona	$33,681	$16
   11	Georgia	$33,397	$16
   12	Tennessee	$32,896	$16
   13	Florida	$32,750	$16
   14	Texas	$32,579	$16
   15	Colorado	$32,450	$16
   16	Washington	$30,796	$15
   17	Missouri	$29,932	$14
   18	Idaho	$28,131	$14
   19	Kentucky	$27,017	$13
   20	Indiana	$25,437	$12

   Average student services counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kern Community College District	$72,515	$34.86	8
   2	Strategic Education	$64,845	$31.18
   3	Misericordia University	$61,036	$29.34	4
   4	Harvard University	$56,302	$27.07
   5	Middlebury College	$53,941	$25.93	1
   6	Emory University	$53,623	$25.78	17
   7	Midwestern University	$52,966	$25.46	2
   8	MCPHS University - Boston	$51,574	$24.80	2
   9	University of California	$51,031	$24.53	35
   10	The City University of New York	$50,575	$24.31	34
   11	University of California-Berkeley	$50,259	$24.16	2
   12	California State University	$49,474	$23.79	241
   13	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$48,131	$23.14	4
   14	Mercy College	$45,238	$21.75
   15	University of Vermont	$42,719	$20.54	19
   16	University of Washington	$42,408	$20.39	27
   17	Alameda County Office of Education	$42,039	$20.21
   18	Roberts Wesleyan College	$40,541	$19.49
   19	Grand Canyon University	$40,494	$19.47	71
   20	Lindenwood University	$39,287	$18.89	9

4. Writing a student services counselor job description

   A job description for a student services 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 student services counselor job description:

   Student services counselor job description example

   Senior Nursing Student, Service Resource, PRN, Nights BSA Health System is an extensive hospital system providing clinical excellence to the Texas Panhandle and the tri-state area. BSA is acclaimed for its superior quality and customer service.
   
   *Excellent opportunity for a senior level nursing student (Level 3, Level 4, Senior 1, Senior 2) to gain experience and a working knowledge of the overall hospital as part of the Resource team*
   
   
   Responsibilities
   
   The Patient Care Technician provides basic patient care under nursing supervision and observes the patients' progress to report to the licensed nursing staff (RN and LVN's). The PCT will assist with patient care and comfort, hygiene and ADL's (Activities of Daily Living) including bed baths and/or showers, restroom assistance, nutrition/eating, obtain vital signs, and collect specimens for lab test. The PCT provides linen changes and basic housekeeping as needed for the patient, mobility, transport, and ensures patient safety with prompt response to patient request and call lights.
   
   Patient coverage assignments are 10 - 15 patients per PCT based on unit census with some 1:1 patient coverage assignments as needed. The PCT will assist with the management and flow of the unit by assisting with admits, discharges, transfer/transport patients, electronic patient documentation, answers telephones, collect and delivers specimens.
   
   The Resource team staff of Patient Care Technicians will primarily float to the medical surgical units of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th floors.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Licenses and Certifications:
   Minimum 18-yrs of age
   High School diploma or GED preferred
   CPR certified from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross Qualifications/Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
   Previous hospital based Patient Care Assistant/Tech., Medical Assistant, EMT-B and/or CNA preferred but not required
   Texas CNA certificate; current or previously held in good standing
   Nursing students all levels
   Acute care setting of patient drains, tubes, and specimen collection
   Acute care setting of infection control protocols
   Able to pass the BSA Acute Care Technical Skills Competency to include but not limited to: Manual Blood Pressure,
   I & O Calculation, Measure Height and Weight, Glucose Monitoring
   Ability to recognize important patient observations and communicate it to the appropriate team member
   Ability to manipulate, position, transfer and ambulate various size patients both full assist or partial assist
   Basic addition and subtraction skills required
   Computer skills necessary; minimum 25wpm accurate EMR EPIC documentation
   Medical terminology a plus
   Prioritize multiple requests
   Ability to multi-task constantly and tolerate multiple interruptions
   Clear and effective communication (written and verbal) with patients, families and other healthcare professionals
   Outgoing; friendly and compassionate customer service skills needed; must be committed to patient and family satisfaction

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find student services 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 student services counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level student services 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 student services counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit student services counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting student services 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 student services counselor

   Once you've selected the best student services 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 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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