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Job outlook for teen counselors in the United States
Are teen counselor jobs in demand?
Teen counselor job and salary trends over time
Teen counselor jobs over time
Teen counselor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 775 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 764 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 775 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 746 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 709 | 0.00% |
Average teen counselor salary over time
Teen counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $32,915 | $15.82 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $32,303 | $15.53 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $31,890 | $15.33 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $31,380 | $15.09 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $30,899 | $14.86 | +1.7% |
Teen counselor jobs by state
Most common states for teen counselors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 76 | 11% |
| 2 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 207 | 6% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 57 | 6% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 56 | 5% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 36 | 5% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 34 | 5% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 28 | 5% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 576 | 4% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 322 | 4% |
| 10 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 313 | 4% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 299 | 4% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 287 | 4% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 255 | 4% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 231 | 4% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 204 | 4% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 112 | 4% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 56 | 4% |
| 18 | Vermont | 623,657 | 23 | 4% |
| 19 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,148 | 3% |
| 20 | New York | 19,849,399 | 628 | 3% |
Teen Counselor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of teen counselor experts
Western Illinois University
Concordia University Irvine
Nicholls State University
Presbyterian College
Augsburg University
The American Camp Association’s
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lubbock Christian University
Elms College
Vanguard University
Portland State University
Angelo State University
Rider University
What general advice would you give to a Teen Counselor?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Education and Credentials: Invest in obtaining advanced degrees and relevant certifications that enhance your qualifications and marketability. A master's or doctoral degree in counseling psychology, along with licensure or certification in your jurisdiction, can significantly increase your earning potential. Specialization and Niche Expertise: Develop expertise in specialized areas of counseling psychology that are in demand or command higher fees. Consider focusing on niche populations, such as children and adolescents, trauma survivors, couples therapy, family therapy and acquire specialized training or certifications to differentiate yourself in the market. Clinical Experience and Internships: Gain diverse clinical experience through internships, practicum placements, and supervised training opportunities. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Stay abreast of emerging trends, research findings, and evidence-based practices in counseling psychology through continuing education, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
What will help Teen Counselors increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Specialist in School Psychology and Clinical/ Community Mental Health Graduate ProgramsWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What general advice would you give to a Teen Counselor?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - The best I can give to graduates is to focus on taking small steps at first. Often the first year in the field can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The system we work in (the helping profession broadly) often has a lot of challenges, and new professionals want to re-envision a path for changes. This is tangible, but at first, it is important to understand the roles and functions in the workplace before flipping everything upside down. I suggest taking one small change at a time in an area that is important to you and build relationships and trust with your professional colleagues before overloading yourself with the new job and new goals.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Teen Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: Any and every job that is either unaffected by a pandemic (essential workers) or jobs that flourish because of the pandemic; delivery people and methods, producers of packaging; disposable products, plexiglass production, and fabrication; whatever can provide people with as many choices as possible that can be delivered to their home.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Teen Counselors?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: Medically related, including counseling. Apart from Covid, certifications/licenses/courses that are in demand; health care always but also in the trades.
What's a good job out of college for Teen Counselors?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: A good job out of college is any job, some might argue. A better job would be one that employs what you studied in college because it asks you to do what you prepared to do. A still better job is one that offers the opportunity to use the whole college experience in problem-solving, creativity, interpersonal relationships - learning, thinking, and communication skills that allow you to see an opportunity, be inspired by it, and pursue it.
Dr. Stephanie Baran
Instructor, SociologyNicholls State University
Social Sciences Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Teen Counselors?
Dr. Stephanie Baran: I think there will be an impact, but I don't necessarily think graduates in the social sciences will find an issue getting jobs. If anything, at least what I've seen from my students is that they are resilient and are flexible to the changes that occur around them. So, the impact that the coronavirus had on graduates showed them ways they could innovate and be responsive to changes. I think those qualities are desirable for post-graduate work.
I also don't necessarily think sociology will "change"-the social impact of the coronavirus-how it continues to affect groups in varying intersections of race, class and gender are all the main threads of sociological inquiry. Students may find more opportunities post-graduation in organizations that address social stressors-like the impact on mental health services, social services and how the pandemic disparately impacted women, women of color, BIPOC and marginalized groups in different ways and how society directly feels the impact from inaction from governmental structures.
What experience really stands out on Teen Counselor resumes?
Dr. Stephanie Baran: For recently graduated students, or students about to graduate, because they may not have a lot of work experience, it is helpful to use the work they completed in their different courses, emphasizing their ability to think through complex issues, showing the ability to navigate/be flexible then things quickly change. They can also use some of the skills acquired from the pandemic-like more online/computer skills, which may be helpful to their coworkers.
What skills stand out on Teen Counselor resumes?
Dr. Carla Alphonso: Skills involving data collection and analysis remain important, and are one of the qualities that help sociology majors to stand out compared to their peers. Communication skills, especially strong writing skills but also confident, effective public speaking, are helpful in today's job market. Sociology students are also well-positioned in terms of problem solving and critical thinking skills. Many jobs that our students enter need applicants who are solutions-focused, and sociology helps students in that area.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Teen Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carla Alphonso: Sociology students can easily find work wherever there are people and wherever there are social problems. In other words, just about anywhere! Again, due to the aging of the babyboom generation, I would recommend areas that have large proportions of elderly including Florida, Maine, and West Virginia. More jobs may be available in urban areas, but there are needs for workers with sociology skills in rural areas, too. More social services and non-profits are located in urban areas and especially in/around state capitals.
What general advice would you give to a Teen Counselor?
Christina Erickson Ph.D.: First, don't be afraid of informational interviews. You'll find social workers in many parts of society, and many of them will love to talk about their experiences. Draft up a few questions, three will suffice, and interview someone to see if the kind of work they do interests you.
Second, peruse the website of the National Association of Social Workers. As the professional organization for social workers, they house enormous amounts of information about careers, education, requirements for continuing education, and give you a sense of the direction social work is headed as a profession. Find out if you are comfortable with their information and how they discuss the profession and the future they suggest.
Finally, social work is a licensed profession, like teaching, nursing, law or medicine. Make sure you want to enter a profession in which you are required to be licensed by passing a test, follow a code of ethics, and commit to continuing education to maintain your license over many years. In most states there is a governing body that manages licensing. Look up the name of your state, the word license, and social work to learn more about what that would entail where you hope to work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Teen Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Tom Rosenberg: Thanks to all the research and learning from the 2020 season and the newly revised "Field Guide for Operating Day & Overnight Camps in COVID-19", the outlook for overnight and day camps in summer 2021 is strong. Most day and overnight camp operators are carefully planning for a busy summer season, in the midst of another summer of COVID-19, and the Field Guide provides a well-researched and tested path forward in summer 2021. Due to COVID-19 requirements, camps are expected to seek increased staffing for camp counselors, activities specialists, nurse, food service, and maintenance staff.
As we prepare to see more camp in 2021 after a COVID summer 2020, we expect the camp job market to call for camp nurses, maintenance workers, and cleaning professionals. In addition, camps looking to operate in 2021 will need to recruit staff in the form of camp counselors, counselors-in-training (CIT's), program/activity directors, etc. - much like in a normal summer.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Teen Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Tom Rosenberg: In COVID-19, camp parents and camp staff are expected to undergo additional pre-camp screening, as well as frequent testing (where applicable), and daily monitoring and surveillance. Camps have been employing innovative technologies to assist with communicable disease prevention and management, and we see this trend continuing and expanding. In summer 2021, the improvement of PCR, antigen and antibody tests will increase in their efficacy, availability, and pricing; making them a very helpful nonpharmaceutical intervention. The ACA Field Guide for Operating Day and Overnight Camps in COVID-19 has a new chapter on Technology and Controls, as well as a new chapter on Testing. For many of these nonpharmaceutical interventions (or layers of protection), there continues to be new research on relative efficacies, technologies that will influence the development of innovations.
Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, medical technology and public health research science helped in the development of the ACA Field Guide for summer camp operations - available to all!
Computer programmers and tech professionals for virtual camps (especially among camps who serve immunity compromised camper populations). Between sessions of camps, we see camps continuing to offer supervised connected online programming for camp friends to enjoy together during the off-season. We expect to see considerable improvements in safety and security components of these platforms, as well as program innovations. Just today, I was on the phone with a VR technologist who is interested in helping camps creating VR experiences to help prospective campers taste camp activity experiences.
We have seen our camps who needed to operate their programs online or in a virtual format really make impressive innovations. Zoom, YouTube, social media and more, were just a few of the ways that camps were able to interact with their camper communities in unique ways. This was especially the case for camps in states and localities where their in-person camp programs were not permitted to operate due to public health official ruling OR for camps who served immune compromised camper populations. While most camps will likely shift back to in-person programs (albeit covid-19 adapted) in summer 2021, we see camps continuing to employ various online connectivity platforms to engage campers, families, and staff members in additive, year-round community building and learning through the use of these technologies for years to come.
What type of skills will young Teen Counselors need?
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.: Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.
Chris Hennington Ph.D.
School Counseling Program CoordinatorLubbock Christian University
Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
How do you envision technology impacting Teen Counselors in the next 5 years?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: The possible move to a more hybrid form of teaching will pull the school counselor into a more telehealth model of guidance and counseling. This is a significant shift from just a few months ago, where telehealth was virtually non-existent.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Teen Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Meredith Bertrand: No technology will replace a great teacher. But, online, flexible technology will be essential in the wake of this virus. The tricky part for new teachers will be to filter all critical information and technology and provide a learning experience that isn't overwhelming. I am a big proponent of the "less is more" theory of education, to get to the depth of what we are trying to teach, but the multitude of online options makes that problematic. I encourage new teachers to gather resources, and when you find that powerful piece that you want to use in your classroom, give it the time it deserves to be absorbed, discussed, and reflected upon.
Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.
Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic TheologyVanguard University
Religion, Undergraduate Religion
What general advice would you give to a Teen Counselor?
Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.: Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.
Dr. Javier Casado Pérez Ph.D.
Counselor EducationPortland State University
Mental Health Counseling
What general advice would you give to a Teen Counselor?
Dr. Javier Casado Pérez Ph.D.: New professionals entering the mental health counseling professions must expect substantive differences in the client's needs and goals for the counseling process. The global pandemic has increased both stress and social isolation, making the counselor's job even more critical, as they are often the client's only non-work-related virtual interaction. With the global pandemic and widespread anti-racist demonstrations, counselors should anticipate clients' desire to discuss work stress and burnout, parenting and caretaker stress, culture, identity development, and racial trauma, virtual fatigue, and difficulties in social relationships.
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and InstructionAngelo State University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Teen Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.: Graduates will need to learn to use technology in which virtual platforms are taking place and web conferencing platforms. Numerous platforms are being used, so the particular platform itself is not as crucial as being well-versed in how virtual education differs from face-to-face environments. Typically, the instructional role in online learning is more of a facilitator, as the educator guides the students to think critically, integrate, and apply new knowledge. This may be difficult for educators who would rather stand in front of a classroom and pass on their knowledge through lecture-based formats. Additionally, being well-versed in various web conferencing platforms will benefit graduates, as they move into a career that is currently requiring communication in virtual environments.
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching ProgramsRider University
Graduate Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Teen Counselors?
Juleen Buser Ph.D.: I talked about this with one of my colleagues, back in March, when everything was closing down, and our students were left in temporary limbo regarding their internships, etc. My colleague made the astute point that our students were getting an immediate, present experience dealing with a crisis. The ability to be flexible, capable, functional, and responsible in an emergency is something that students finishing their training during this pandemic were able to experience and practice in an ongoing way. This will make them excellent candidates for counseling positions, as they enter the job market, and serve them well in their careers as professional counselors.