Learn how to become a youth counselor
As children and teens navigate their education and growth, they inevitably face numerous challenges. A youth counselor supports those individuals, helping to guide them and counsel them on both personal issues and educational challenges. A youth counselor might work for a school or youth-focused organization, and they may be responsible for introducing students to programs, helping them set goals, connecting them with available resources, mediating conflicts and more.
In This Article
Should I become a youth counselor?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides data on mental health counselors, but specific data about youth counselors isn’t available. According to the BLS, employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health disorders should grow by 16.8% through 2034. That growth is much faster than the growth across all occupations, says the BLS and they anticipate about 42,000 counselor openings will become available each year during the next decade.
That rapid growth is partially because professionals are retiring or transferring to different occupations. Additionally, growth in the number of youths who have mental health and behavioral disorders means there’s increased demand for counselors.
Being a youth counselor can be highly rewarding. Margaret C. Wang, a licensed marriage and family therapist and stress management coach in San Jose, California, owns Thrive & Feel and specializes in anxiety, depression, athletes and women in the medical field. Wang previously worked as a youth counselor and particularly enjoyed working with middle school students. “There’s something special about working with this specific age group when they’re developing their own identities and personalities apart from their parents,” she says.
While helping clients navigate challenges and improve their mental health is rewarding, being a youth counselor can also be stressful.
While helping clients navigate challenges and improve their mental health is rewarding, being a youth counselor can also be stressful. Wang notes that it can be challenging not to bring work home at the end of the day. Counselors may deal with some heavy subjects and emotionally loaded situations, so this career is best for individuals who truly want to help others and who feel prepared to cope with the challenges that come with the work.
How do I become a youth counselor?
The exact path to become a youth counselor will depend on your ideal job position and focus. Youth counselors focusing on school counseling and career assistance may not need an advanced degree, but a career more focused on mental health and behavioral counseling will require some additional schooling.
Earn your bachelor’s degree.
Most entry-level positions in youth counseling will require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a field like child psychology, counseling, or social work. When possible, try to complete coursework focused on youth and adolescent development and mental health, since this background can help to prepare you for a youth counseling career.
Then, earn your master’s degree.
While you may be able to hold an entry-level position with just a bachelor’s degree, if you want to pursue more advanced opportunities or become a licensed mental health professional, you will need to earn your master’s degree in counseling or a related field. Your master’s degree program gives you the opportunity to study different types of counseling and mental health in depth, and many programs will allow you to specialize or concentrate in youth and adolescent mental health.
Gain practical experience.
It’s also essential to pursue practical experience opportunities during your education. Internships and field placements give you the valuable chance to receive supervised firsthand counseling experience, and you’ll have the opportunity to put the skills that you’ve learned to work. You might also seek out volunteer opportunities to further get experience.
Get licensed.
Many youth counselor job opportunities specifically seek licensed candidates. Counseling license requirements vary significantly depending on your state. Most states require you to complete supervised work hours, pass a national exam like the National Counselor Examination, complete a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling from an accredited university and possibly complete a certain number of continuing education hours.
Consider professional certification.
To make yourself a more competitive candidate for job opportunities and to better prepare yourself for a specific focus within the youth counseling field, consider pursuing a certification program. For example, the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialist in Child and Adolescent Counseling certification allows counselors to demonstrate their specialized knowledge in the treatment of children and adolescents. Certification credential requirements vary, but often include completing a certain number of graduate credit hours, completing professional development hours and performing a minimum number of face-to-face counseling hours.
Youth counselor salary: How much do they make?
As a youth counselor, your potential earnings will depend on many factors, including where you work, your position and your experience. The BLS salary data reflects pay for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors together. According to 2024 BLS data, the median annual wage for these professions in was $59,190.
10%$39,090
25%$47,170
50%$59,190Median
75%$76,230
90%$98,210
Median Hourly Wage$28
Job growth16.8%
Total Employment440,380
| State | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,880 | $35,940 | $73,050 |
| Alaska | $79,220 | $52,790 | $129,990 |
| Arizona | $63,830 | $42,130 | $95,860 |
| Arkansas | $49,990 | $31,600 | $102,400 |
| California | $61,310 | $44,190 | $118,970 |
| Colorado | $59,190 | $40,570 | $98,030 |
| Connecticut | $62,960 | $43,030 | $98,660 |
| Delaware | $49,680 | $38,960 | $78,510 |
| District of Columbia | $66,140 | $44,210 | $101,130 |
| Florida | $56,830 | $38,790 | $83,330 |
| Georgia | $55,320 | $39,020 | $93,200 |
| Hawaii | $54,390 | $48,910 | $158,310 |
| Idaho | $65,240 | $43,550 | $85,960 |
| Illinois | $59,570 | $42,500 | $107,630 |
| Indiana | $49,280 | $36,650 | $78,920 |
| Iowa | $60,880 | $43,840 | $89,840 |
| Kansas | $57,760 | $36,710 | $80,720 |
| Kentucky | $51,790 | $33,970 | $89,690 |
| Louisiana | $40,200 | $29,170 | $66,560 |
| Maine | $60,970 | $43,810 | $93,070 |
| Maryland | $57,820 | $41,160 | $97,050 |
| Massachusetts | $59,030 | $43,220 | $91,260 |
| Michigan | $59,530 | $37,200 | $89,170 |
| Minnesota | $58,720 | $45,210 | $75,530 |
| Mississippi | $46,810 | $32,590 | $78,480 |
| Missouri | $56,640 | $35,630 | $80,160 |
| Montana | $58,660 | $32,930 | $80,870 |
| Nebraska | $64,410 | $37,660 | $100,090 |
| Nevada | $59,470 | $43,490 | $92,440 |
| New Hampshire | $58,520 | $39,520 | $85,800 |
| New Jersey | $64,710 | $40,680 | $118,320 |
| New Mexico | $70,770 | $47,910 | $92,520 |
| New York | $62,070 | $43,160 | $101,910 |
| North Carolina | $56,470 | $38,440 | $83,790 |
| North Dakota | $66,450 | $42,520 | $86,550 |
| Ohio | $56,990 | $39,210 | $83,200 |
| Oklahoma | $58,610 | $33,860 | $94,980 |
| Oregon | $69,660 | $48,570 | $103,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,320 | $38,760 | $87,540 |
| Rhode Island | $49,770 | $38,990 | $90,350 |
| South Carolina | $50,720 | $34,730 | $84,190 |
| South Dakota | $53,400 | $40,410 | $74,250 |
| Tennessee | $48,170 | $30,890 | $75,240 |
| Texas | $60,630 | $38,720 | $96,260 |
| Utah | $65,920 | $34,560 | $111,470 |
| Vermont | $60,410 | $45,960 | $80,480 |
| Virginia | $58,410 | $39,150 | $96,230 |
| Washington | $64,220 | $45,450 | $100,210 |
| West Virginia | $46,710 | $32,000 | $77,260 |
| Wisconsin | $62,470 | $44,660 | $98,290 |
| Wyoming | $61,640 | $36,110 | $102,550 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
How does a youth counselor salary compare to similar occupations?
Factors that impact salary
Many factors impact your salary as a youth counselor. Your experience has a major effect on your earnings. As an entry-level counselor, you can expect to earn lower rates. As you enter your mid-career or become a seasoned counselor, you will earn raises and can expect a higher salary.
Additionally, your location and the type of business that you work for will affect your earnings. Other factors like your schedule can affect your salary; if you work evenings, nights or weekends, you may receive a higher wage for covering these shifts. If you have earned a certification or pursued graduate or post-graduate degrees, you may also receive higher pay.
As a sole proprietor, your income may differ. When you first start your business, it will take time to build up clientele and establish a reliable income. However, as a business owner, you have more control over factors like your business model, marketing, the clients you take on, your rates and your schedule. You can take steps to maximize your income or can choose to scale back your workload as needed.
Where are youth counselors most in demand?
The employment of youth counselors and their average salaries vary by state and location.
Highest paying cities/metros for youth counselors
The BLS reports that the following metropolitan areas pay the top annual mean wages for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors:
Metro areas with highest level of employment
According to the BLS, the following five metro areas have the highest levels of employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors:
What being a youth counselor is all about
As a youth counselor, you’ll have a chance to make a positive impact on children’s and teen’s on a daily basis. Counseling can be a challenging career, but it can also be highly rewarding as you see your clients grow and progress. This career is ideal for people who enjoy engaging with others, who are excellent listeners, who remain calm under pressure and who want to have a positive impact on children and teenagers.
What you’ll do
Your specific job duties will depend on your position. When working in a school environment, a youth counselor might observe classes, help with crisis intervention, work with students in groups and one-on-one, help connect students with school and community resources and establish goals and monitor progress.
In a hospital or clinic setting, the role might focus more on developing treatment programs, evaluating each client’s individual needs, monitoring progress and evaluating and modifying treatment plans.
What does this job look like from the practitioner’s perspective?
As a youth counselor working with middle school students, Wang held several responsibilities. She connected with teachers and parents to learn about students’ behaviors inside and outside the classroom, provided one-on-one and group therapy sessions to students, maintained student mental health records and conducted Child Protective Services and police reports.
“The key areas that I encountered with my students included, but weren’t limited to, anxiety, depression, grief and loss and trauma,” says Wang. “With some of these students, these mental health issues would sometimes manifest as “behavioral issues” like impulse control (e.g., inappropriate communication) or lack of participation (e.g., leaving class frequently or tardiness).”
What does this job look like from a client’s perspective?
Youth counselors provide an important support to children and teens. Teens might seek out the support themselves when facing personal challenges, but it’s also likely that teachers might refer students to the counselor, or parents might seek out a counselor to help their children.
A youth counselor could help clients in many different ways. A counselor can help a student who’s having issues in the classroom, helping to identify the cause of the behavior and teaching the student the coping skills they need to better deal with the issues they’re facing. Youth counselors can help children and teens deal with personal and social issues, including conflicts with family or other students.
They can also establish management plans and goals, helping to ensure that the clients make progress and have the support they need to succeed in school and in their lives, overall. Additionally, counselors might help youth facing challenges like drug addiction.
The skills (and competencies) you’ll need
Youth counselors will need several essential skills to succeed in this career:
- Patience:
- “It takes time to build rapport,” says Wang. Counselors need to be able to remain patient to build a client’s trust.
- Humility:
- Wang highlights the fact that it’s important that counselors not assume that they understand what a student is going through. Instead, counselors need to maintain an open mind and carefully listen to the student’s concerns.
- Active listening:
- The ability to attentively and actively listen can help counselors to pick up on key information, including the details that a client isn’t specifically stating.
- Creative thinking:
- Creativity is key in not only engaging with clients, but in identifying suggestions and solutions to help clients.
- Ability to deal with pressure:
- Counseling can be a high-pressure career, and a talented counselor needs to be able to remain calm and think clearly, even during intense situations.
- Attention to detail:
- From filling out paperwork to providing counseling sessions, a counselor needs excellent attention to detail.
Tools and technology
Youth counselors will also use several types of technology:
- A PC and printer, which is often provided by the employer
- A HIPAA compliant electronic health records database to maintain mental health records
- Software including email, a digital calendar, a word processor and a spreadsheet platform
- A phone and voicemail system
Where you’ll work
Youth counselors may work in several different environments and hold various job titles.
Job titles
- Youth counselor
- Youth development counselor
- Youth program coordinator
- Behavior analyst
- Residential youth counselor
- Youth specialist
- Mental health counselor
Work environments
A career as a youth counselor can take you in many different directions. Whether your goal is to work in a school, a domestic violence center or to start your own private practice, youth counselors work in many environments:
- Schools and educational settings
- Group residential homes
- Hospitals and healthcare clinics
- Juvenile detention centers and correctional facilities
- Homeless shelters
- Domestic violence shelters
- Private practices
How to make yourself stand out as a candidate for a youth counselor job
Focus on gaining experience to make yourself stand out as a job candidate. Wang encourages graduates to volunteer during graduate school. Gaining experience shows your dedication to the career and can also give you a chance to make valuable networking connections that might help you find future opportunities.
Professional organizations to join along the way
Consider joining professional organizations, which can be a great resource for educational and continuing education opportunities, job listings, conferences and more:
- The Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling provides resources including professional development opportunities, as well as youth counseling news and events.
- The American Mental Health Counselors Association maintains a large databse of resources, including several counseling publications, industry news and updates about events and the association’s annual conference.
Many states also have their own youth counselor associations and organizations, so be sure to check into local resources, too.
Frequently asked questions
Is a license required to become a youth counselor?
Some entry-level counselor positions may be open to candidates who don’t yet have their license. However, without a license, your job responsibilities may be limited, and the employer may expect you to earn your license in the future.
Do youth counselors only work in school settings?
No, youth counselors can work in all sorts of settings, including in hospitals, juvenile detention centers, homeless shelters and more. Youth counselors play an important role in supporting youths who face all sorts of challenges in many different settings.
Do youth counselors work alone?
Youth counselors often work with other professionals. In a school setting, they may work closely with teachers and administrative staff. In hospital and social work settings, youth counselors may work with a team of other mental health professionals and social workers.