EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR MASTER'S IN COUNSELING GRADUATES
MASTER OF COUNSELING VS BACHELOR OF COUNSELING
Professional counselors with a master’s degree enjoy excellent employment rates and higher salaries than their bachelor’s-holding counterparts. According to BLS data, 48% of today’s professional counselors— roughly 239,000 people — have a master’s degree. By comparison, 26% of counselors finish their education with a bachelor’s. As a whole, bachelor’s degree holders make 35% less than those with a master’s degree, earning $37,000 and $50,000, respectively.
EARNING A LIVING
Although a master’s degree in counseling will boost your potential salary, it’s important to remember that your earnings will also increase over the course of your career. The following data table features career salary expectations for four different counseling professions over time.
Of the professions listed above, school counselors enjoyed the highest salary growth rate over their career, earning 46% more from entry-level to late-career. School counselors also enjoyed the highest starting and ending salaries.
While a master’s degree is seen as the standard educational pathway for professionals, very few counselors pursue a doctorate. Data from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) reveals a major difference between the number of master’s and Ph.D. graduates in 15 different counseling subdivisions. Only 320 students sought a Ph.D. in school counseling during the 2011-12 academic calendar, for example, while schools around the country conferred nearly 13,000 master’s degrees during the same year. Fewer than 20 students earned doctoral degrees in several counseling fields — including substance abuse counseling, community health counseling, and mental health counseling — during the same period.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Based on their specialization, counselors with a master’s degree may pursue roles in a number of fields. Below are a few of the employment opportunities available for teachers with a master’s degree in counseling.
School and Career Counselors: School counselors work with students to help them achieve academic success and address personal concerns. Elementary and middle school counselors generally specialize in skill-building and emotional support, while counselors in high schools and postsecondary institutions tend to focus more on academic advisement and professional development. Career counselors provide information about college programs, job skills training, and other post-graduation pathways for adults. These counselors are generally found at high schools and colleges, but they may also work with individuals who are already in the workforce.
Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists: Mental health counselors and marriage/family counselors specialize in helping people, couples, or families cope with a range of emotional and interpersonal issues. They diagnose mental and emotional disorders, administer therapy, and help clients learn to lead happy, productive lives. Depending on their specialization, these counselors may offer individual, couple’s, family, and group therapy sessions.
Rehabilitation Counselors: Rehabilitation counselors assist clients living with physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities. They administer counseling in a one-on-one or group setting, working with clients to develop long-term plans that enable them to live independently and comfortably. Many rehabilitation counselors specialize in working with certain subsets of society, such as children, the elderly, or military veterans. Vocational rehabilitation counselors help clients with job-related issues.
Addiction Counselors: Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors (also known as addiction counselors) specialize in treating patients who struggle with alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling, and other potentially destructive habits. These counselors help clients explore the problematic behaviors that trigger their addictions; they also assist clients during the treatment and recovery phase. Addiction counselors may offer therapy in different formats, including one-on-one, couple’s, family, or group therapy.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Making professional connections and learning about different counseling approaches is crucial to your success. Professional organizations offer a great entry point for students who want to learn more about their chosen career path. Below you’ll find three of the country’s most prominent organizations established for professional counselors. These organizations host networking events, provide online trainings, maintain active job boards, and offer other services for career-ready college graduates.
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT): The leading professional organization for counselors specializing in marriage and family counseling, the AAMFT represents more than 50,000 licensed counselors worldwide. The website features a job board and licensure links, an online information library, and a virtual networking center.
American Counseling Association: Founded in 1952, the ACA is considered the world’s largest professional organization for professional counselors, and has more than 52,000 current members. The ACA website features an extensive virtual knowledge center that contains information about licensure requirements, diagnostics, ethics, and other important areas of the field. Continuing education opportunities, journal publications, and an online job board are also available.
American School Counselor Association (ASCA): The ASCA serves school counselors at all academic levels across the country. Members receive discounts on site publications, free liability insurance coverage, and information about professional development and continuing education opportunities.
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC): Founded in 1989, the IAMFC today represents a network of counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals working in marriage and family counseling. Members receive access to two online publications — The Family Journal and The Family Digest — along with information about certification, credentialing, and access to an extensive job directory.