How To Become A Peer Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a peer counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

A peer counselor helps mediate problems between students or peers by helping them find their answers in a peer counseling program that focuses on peers helping peers. The most important duty of a peer counselor is to find out challenges that are blocking the peers' way in reaching their full potential and achieving their academic goals. To do this, you need to conduct an initial assessment by doing interviews and appointments. Also, you are to listen to clients and offer advice. In addition, you are to recommend opportunities and refer them to other support agencies.

Another important duty of a peer counselor is to give emotional guidance and support to clients by giving them a shoulder to lean on. While you can be qualified for this role with just your high school diploma or GED, it is preferable if you have a bachelor's degree in either sociology or psychology. You will earn an average salary of $30,249 per year.

What general advice would you give to a Peer Counselor?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

Counseling Services (school counseling concentration) and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (we have a CMHC concentration and a Dance Movement Therapy concentration in this program). The general advice I would give to graduates starting positions in the counseling field would be to understand the critical importance of the work of helping professionals. Counselors optimally provide a safe space for clients to discuss their fears, worries, anxieties, joys, traumas, insecurities, accomplishments, etc. This ability to be an empathic, listening, accepting presence will be even more crucial for clients in our current situation.

ScorePeer CounselorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,464

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.0

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 3.74%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 14.20%

Unknown 3.76%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 67.03%

male 32.97%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

9.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a peer counselor

Explore peer counselor education requirements

Most common peer counselor degrees

Bachelor's

61.4 %

Associate

16.5 %

High School Diploma

9.4 %

Start to develop specific peer counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Peer Support	14.47%
Substance Abuse	9.37%
WIC Program	9.29%
Crisis Intervention	7.48%
Community Resources	5.75%

Complete relevant peer counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New peer 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 peer counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real peer counselor resumes.

Research peer counselor duties and responsibilities

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Refer clients (as needed) to inpatient or outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation programs and assist them in qualifying for services.
Formulate and edit nutrition education materials and monthly newsletters for WIC participants.
Counsele and enroll people in ACA and ABE.

Prepare your peer counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your peer 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 peer 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 Peer Counselor Resume templates

Build a professional Peer 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 Peer Counselor resume.

Apply for peer counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a peer 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 do peer counselors rate their job?

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Peer Counselor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

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.

Pros

Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.