School Counselor

School Counselor Job Description

School Psychologists Investigate processes of learning and teaching and develop psychological principles and techniques applicable to educational problems. Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors Counsel individuals and provide group educational and vocational guidance services.

School Counselor Salary Statistics as of 2015

Average annual salary for a School Counselor is $43619 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest salary recorded was $63767. The lowest salary reported was $30426. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Median hourly wage for a School Counselor is $21.69 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest hourly rate recorded was $31.71. The lowest hourly rate recorded was $15.13. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Bonuses for a School Counselor are based on the years of experience using statistics from the U.S. as of 2015. The average bonus recorded was $1659 from people with 15+ years of experience. The average bonus recorded was $0 from people with under 1 year of experience.

These are the highest paying states for a School Counselor. These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
California – $31,996 – $80,850
Florida – $30,304 – $56,984
Georgia – $28,590 – $62,481
Illinois – $32,500 – $90,000
New York – $32,681 – $88,084
North Carolina – $30,410 – $56,216
Texas – $40,229 – $59,892

These are the highest paying cities for a School Counselor. These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
Los Angeles, California –
Houston, Texas –
Atlanta, Georgia –
New York, New York –
Dallas, Texas –
Chicago, Illinois –
Baltimore, Maryland –

This chart outlines the average annual salary of a School Counselor from the past 5 years. In 2015 the average annual salary was $43619 while in 2007 it was just $40451.5

Work Enviornment

A school counselor can expect to work in many different areas. School counselors work with individual students, groups of students, entire classrooms, and also families. An ability to cope with stress is a helpful quality for a school counselor to have. Social, emotional, and physical problems all need to be addressed by counselors at schools. School counselors also need to be prepared for crisis intervention. A school counselor has a wonderful opportunity to counsel students and families through difficult times and multiple issues. School counselors also work with students with special needs to ensure they receive the best possible service and education. To provide this, many counselors spend time in classrooms observing students.

How To Become a School Counselor

To work as a school counselor, a master’s degree is required for license and certification requirements. A master’s degree in school counseling is around 48-60 semester hours as well as supervised clinical experience. Some schools may provide tuition assistance for graduate studies. School counselors also must participate in on-going education such as additional graduate classes, workshops, and professional development to maintain certification. Many states require school counselors to have a specific State School Counseling Certification.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for school counselors is very positive. The need for school counselors is expected to increase over time. The projected employment by 2015 is 314,000. This is a 14% increase. Current legislation has made a school counselor a requirement in elementary schools in many states. Also, the growing needs of students and families also make this a profession that with be in demand into the future. Budget constraints can at times hinder a school’s ability to hire a school counselor. Many schools are able to use federal grants or subsidies to pay for this important addition to a school staff.