How to hire a youth counselor

How to hire a youth counselor, step by step

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

What does a youth counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a youth counselor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 youth 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 youth counselor that fits the bill.

   This list presents youth counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Youth Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Youth 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.	$12-23
   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
   Intensive In-Home Counselor	An Intensive In-Home Counselor conducts individual counseling sessions for parents and deals with delicate issues like sexual addiction. They also prepare progress reports for clients.	$19-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Direct Care
   • Mental Health
   • Crisis Intervention
   • CPR
   • Social Work
   • Necessary Paperwork
   • Behavioral Issues
   • Emergency First Aid
   • Direct Supervision
   • CPI
   • Behavior Management
   • Community Resources
   • Meal Preparation
   • Incident Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Instruct students in course work including: reading, writing, mathematics, behavior modification, and social skills.
   • Train in physical restraint, conflict resolution, first aide, CPR, blood borne pathogen management and universal precautions.
   • Complete functional assessment evaluations of residents and write individualized rehabilitation goals that encourage community integration.
   • Monitor behavior, safety and location of juvenile residents that are court mandate, psychological/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities and autism.
   • Maintain high standards of cleanliness and presentation in all back-of-house areas and customer areas.
   • Supervise teens on maintaining cleanliness of cottage, individual rooms and their individual appearance.

   More youth counselor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average youth counselor salary

   $36,754yearly

   $17.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level youth counselor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 30, 2025

   Average youth counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$51,461	$25
   2	Washington	$41,916	$20
   3	Illinois	$40,622	$20
   4	New York	$40,506	$19
   5	Pennsylvania	$38,517	$19
   6	Tennessee	$38,386	$18
   7	Georgia	$38,294	$18
   8	Massachusetts	$36,654	$18
   9	Wisconsin	$35,859	$17
   10	Colorado	$35,681	$17
   11	Nebraska	$35,101	$17
   12	Texas	$34,815	$17
   13	Iowa	$32,890	$16
   14	Missouri	$30,614	$15
   15	Michigan	$30,352	$15
   16	Montana	$29,633	$14
   17	South Dakota	$29,340	$14
   18	Florida	$28,957	$14
   19	North Carolina	$28,477	$14

   Average youth counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	New York State Restaurant Association	$52,236	$25.11
   2	Upbring	$45,264	$21.76
   3	Aspiranet	$45,159	$21.71	28
   4	Washington State University	$44,710	$21.50
   5	Missouri State University	$44,056	$21.18	4
   6	Wisconsin Community Services	$43,350	$20.84	13
   7	Lad Lake	$42,949	$20.65	8
   8	The Children's Village	$42,371	$20.37	63
   9	Woodward Academy	$42,072	$20.23
   10	newglarushome	$42,044	$20.21
   11	Kern Community College District	$41,714	$20.05	7
   12	Archdiocese Of San Antonio	$41,664	$20.03	41
   13	Iowa Department of Transportation	$41,572	$19.99
   14	Amcor	$41,454	$19.93
   15	Seneca Resources	$41,011	$19.72	22
   16	Southwest Key Programs	$40,995	$19.71
   17	Kairos Prison Ministry	$40,952	$19.69
   18	Hospice Buffalo	$40,854	$19.64
   19	Methodist Home for Children	$40,820	$19.63	21
   20	Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services	$40,800	$19.62	6

4. Writing a youth counselor job description

   A youth 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 youth counselor job description:

   Youth counselor job description example

   Palliative Care Counselor - (2200038D) Description
   Facility Profile
   
   TGH is the area's only level I trauma center and one of just two ABA-verified adult & pediatric burn centers in Florida. With five medical helicopters*, we transport critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. The hospital is home to one of the busiest solid organ transplant centers in the country. TGH is a nationally designated comprehensive stroke center, and has a 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Other outstanding centers include cardiovascular, orthopedics, high-risk and normal obstetrics, urology, ENT, endocrinology, and the Children's Medical Center, which features a nine-bed pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric kidney transplant services. As the region's leading safety net hospital, Tampa General is committed to providing area residents with world-class and compassionate health care ranging from the simplest to the most complex medical services.
   
   Tampa General Hospital was named the #1 hospital in Tampa Bay by U.S. News & World Report, 2020-2021, and recognized as one of America's Best Hospital's in five medical specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Nephrology, and Orthopedics. Tampa General Hospital has been designated a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest recognition for nursing excellence, for the fourth consecutive time - an accomplishment that fewer than one percent of hospitals nationwide have earned. TGH is accredited by The Joint Commission and was awarded disease-specific certification in five medical specialties. TGH is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). *Air transport provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
   
   Job Summary
   
   The Palliative Care Counselor is a member of the interdisciplinary palliative care team that includes, physicians, nurse practitioners, chaplains, nurses and pharmacists. The team also includes multiple learners from different programs: medical students, residents and fellows, nurse practitioner students and chaplaincy residents. The LC is knowledgeable about medical social work, patient and family counseling, advance care planning, transitional care, bereavement support and end of life care. The goal of the LC is to assist patients and families to clarify goals and achieve the highest possible quality of life in the setting of advanced and end-stage illness. The position will also be responsible for developing education and training strategies for clinical staff caring for patients with advanced illness both in the hospital and in the community.
   Qualifications
   MSW degree from a C.S.W.E.-accredited college or university Social Work program.
   At least 2 years' experience in a health care facility or program working with Critically ill patient population.
   Florida Licensed Social Worker (LCSW) required.
   
   Primary Location: TampaWork Locations: TGH Main Campus 1 Tampa General Circle Tampa 33606Job: Case ManagementOrganization: TGH - HospitalSchedule: Full-time Scheduled Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, FridayShift: Day JobJob Posting: Oct 12, 2022, 2:47:29 PM

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find youth 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 youth counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit youth counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting youth 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 youth counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the youth counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new youth 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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