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Hospitals and health systems
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
Counselors, All Other
These counselors work with people who need support for mental health, substance use, life stress, or other personal problems that don’t fit neatly into a single specialty. The job stands out because it mixes deep one-on-one human work with formal recordkeeping, treatment planning, and crisis response. The tradeoff is clear: the work can be personally meaningful, but it often comes with emotional strain, heavy paperwork, and pay that is only moderate for the education required.
Also known as CounselorBehavioral Health CounselorMental Health CounselorLicensed Professional CounselorClinical Counselor
Median Salary
$49,830
Mean $58,070
U.S. Workforce
~33K
7.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+12.6%
69.1K to 77.8K
Entry Education
Master's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Counselors, All Other sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~33K workers, with a median annual pay of $49,830 and roughly 7.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 69.1 K in 2024 to 77.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Master's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Counseling Intern and can progress toward Program Director. High-value skills usually include Clinical Assessment, Intake Interviews & Risk Screening, Treatment Planning, Case Notes & Progress Documentation, and Crisis Intervention, Suicide Risk Screening & Safety Planning, paired with soft skills such as Active listening, Empathy, and Calm under pressure.
Core Responsibilities
- Meet with clients to understand what they are struggling with and what kind of support they need.
- Ask structured questions, review history, and look for signs of risk such as self-harm, addiction relapse, or severe distress.
- Create a care plan with goals, coping steps, and follow-up appointments that fit the client’s situation.
- Lead counseling sessions that help people work through emotions, behavior patterns, relationships, or recovery goals.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Meet with clients to understand what they are struggling with and what kind of support they need.
02 Ask structured questions, review history, and look for signs of risk such as self-harm, addiction relapse, or severe distress.
03 Create a care plan with goals, coping steps, and follow-up appointments that fit the client’s situation.
04 Lead counseling sessions that help people work through emotions, behavior patterns, relationships, or recovery goals.
05 Write detailed notes, update records, and coordinate with doctors, social workers, schools, or family members when permission is given.
06 Step in during urgent situations, help calm the person down, and connect them with higher levels of care if needed.
Industries That Hire
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Outpatient behavioral health
LifeStance Health, Acadia Healthcare, Optum
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Nonprofits and community services
Catholic Charities, YMCA, United Way
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Telehealth and digital care
Talkspace, BetterHelp, Headspace Health
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Employee assistance and workplace wellness
ComPsych, Lyra Health, Spring Health
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The work is directly meaningful because you help people cope with real problems, not abstract business goals.
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Demand is fairly steady: employment is projected to grow from 69.1K to 77.8K by 2034, with about 7.4K annual openings.
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The role has no on-the-job training requirement, so once you complete the degree and credentials, you can move into practice without a long apprenticeship.
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You can work in many settings, including hospitals, nonprofits, telehealth, and employee assistance programs.
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There is a clear path into supervision or program leadership if you want more responsibility later.
Challenges
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Pay is only moderate for a job that usually requires a master's degree: the median is $49,830 and the mean is $58,070.
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The entry barrier is high because a master's degree is the normal starting point, which means extra time and tuition before you can earn full salary.
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The emotional load can be heavy because clients may be dealing with trauma, addiction, grief, abuse, or crisis.
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A lot of positions are in underfunded public and nonprofit systems, which often means larger caseloads, more paperwork, and tighter budgets.
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Career growth can hit a ceiling unless you move into licensure, supervision, or administration, so advancement often means less direct client work.
Career Progression
Counseling Intern
0-2 years
$35K-$45K
New graduates learn documentation, observe sessions, and handle lower-risk client work under supervision.
Counselor, All Other
0-5 years
$46K-$65K
Counselors meet with clients regularly, build care plans, document progress, and handle common mental health or life-skills issues.
Senior Counselor THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$65K-$85K
More experienced counselors take on tougher cases, mentor newer staff, and may lead specialty groups or programs.
Clinical Supervisor
8-14 years
$85K-$110K
Supervisors review cases, coach staff, make sure care meets standards, and help manage caseloads and quality.
Program Director
12+ years
$110K-$140K
Directors oversee budgets, staffing, partnerships, and service quality for a counseling or behavioral health program.
Education Paths
Master's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work
This is the typical entry point for the role and the clearest path into direct counseling work.
Bachelor's degree plus supervised experience
Some people start in related support roles and build toward graduate study, but this is usually a stepping stone rather than the main route.
State license or post-master's counseling credential
This is often needed for independent practice or more advanced responsibilities after graduate school.
Key Skills
Technical
Clinical Assessment, Intake Interviews & Risk Screening 95%
Treatment Planning, Case Notes & Progress Documentation 90%
Crisis Intervention, Suicide Risk Screening & Safety Planning 88%
DSM-5 Screening Tools & Diagnostic Criteria 84%
Electronic Health Records (TherapyNotes, SimplePractice) 80%
Telehealth Platforms (Zoom, Doxy.me & Microsoft Teams) 72%
Soft Skills
Active listeningEmpathyCalm under pressureBoundary settingCultural sensitivityClear communication Job Outlook and Trends
+12.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
7.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 69.1K to 77.8 K over the next decade, representing 12.6% growth. Around 7.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.