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What is a clinical counselor and how to become one
The clinical counselor conducts assessments, develops a treatment plan, and directs facility therapy for groups, individuals, and families. He/She evaluates patients through detailed conversations, interviews, and observations to employ the appropriate treatment plan. He/She diagnoses the mental and emotional disorders of the patient. Furthermore, he/she develops and implements effective treatment plans, including counseling, medication, or other services. Similarly, he/she creates coping mechanisms to help patients survive tough situations. Asides from that, he/she documents the progress of the patient and changes their treatment plan when needed.
Applicants are required to have at least a bachelor's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related discipline. You must possess a minimum of three years of experience in a similar role. Skills such as communication, time management, interpersonal, and people skills are essential for this role. These professionals earn an average gross salary of $47,488 annually. This varies from $32,000 to $70,000.
What general advice would you give to a Clinical Counselor?
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University
Avg. Salary $54,191
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 17%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%
Asian 3.23%
Black or African American 11.28%
Hispanic or Latino 12.21%
Unknown 5.91%
White 67.00%
Genderfemale 71.55%
male 28.45%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Clinical Counselor career paths
Key steps to become a clinical counselor
Explore clinical counselor education requirements
Start to develop specific clinical counselor skills
Skills 
Percentages Social Work 36.14% Patients 7.69% Foster Care 6.59% Independent Living 5.64% Child Abuse 3.60% Complete relevant clinical counselor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical counselor resumes.Research clinical counselor duties and responsibilities
- Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
- Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
- Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
- Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
Prepare your clinical counselor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical counselor resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Clinical Counselor Resume templates
Build a professional Clinical Counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Clinical Counselor resume.
Apply for clinical counselor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a clinical counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Clinical Counselor Job
Are you a Clinical Counselor?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average clinical counselor salary
The average Clinical Counselor salary in the United States is $54,191 per year or $26 per hour. Clinical counselor salaries range between $43,000 and $67,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do clinical counselors rate their job?
Clinical Counselor reviews
Making a difference in someone's life. Seeing positive changes.
Late hours after 9 pm or before 9 am
The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.
The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.
The over documentation required by DHS that robs the quality time needed in intervention and treatment. This lopsided demand makes the term “best practices” mere bureaucratic lip service without the means to actually deliver quality hands on services.
Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.
Updated January 8, 2025
