What Can You Do With a Counseling Degree? 8 Career Paths and What They Pay

Key takeaway: mental health counselors are projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, but licensed counseling jobs almost always need a master's degree, and the median was $59,350 in May 2025.

Some teenagers are the person their friends text at midnight. They listen without fixing, they notice when someone has gone quiet, and they ask follow-up questions. A lot of those kids end up wondering whether counseling could be a career.

It can, and the need is real. But this is a field where the bachelor's degree is the first half of the trip, not the whole thing. Parents deserve the honest version up front, so this guide covers both what the work pays and what it takes to get there.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Counseling Degree?

Pay is the national median from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), May 2025. The first five need a master's degree and, for most, a state license.

1. Mental health counselor

Counselors help clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and addiction, in clinics, hospitals, private practice and more and more over video. BLS median: $59,350, with the top 10% above $97,590 and 18% projected growth.

2. Substance abuse and addiction counselor

BLS groups addiction counselors with mental health counselors. Some states license addiction counselors with less than a master's, which makes it one of the faster ways into the field.

3. School counselor

School counselors help students with schedules, college and career plans, and the hard stuff at home. BLS median: $64,330, rising to $77,800 in local public schools. Growth is slow (3%), but about 27,800 openings come up each year.

4. Marriage and family therapist

Marriage and family therapists earn a median $66,940, with the top 10% above $123,730 and 14% projected growth.

5. Rehabilitation counselor

Rehabilitation counselors help people with disabilities live and work independently. BLS median: $46,850, and $66,510 in state government.

6. Social and human service assistant (bachelor's level)

Case aides, intake workers and program assistants support counselors and social workers. BLS median: $45,930. Many students work here while finishing a master's.

7. Psychologist (doctorate)

Some counseling students go on to a doctorate in counseling or clinical psychology. BLS lists psychologists at a median of $99,110.

8. Social worker

A master's in social work (MSW) is a close cousin that also leads to licensed therapy. BLS lists social workers at a median of $61,780. Our social work guide compares the two.

What Does a Counseling Career Actually Look Like?

In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics interviewed Katherine Pastor, a school counselor in Flagstaff, Arizona, for its Career Outlook series. It's an older piece, but it's one of the clearest descriptions of the job we've seen.

She was blunt about the hours. "I don't know anyone in education who leaves at 3," she said. She was just as clear about why she stays: "One adult believing in a student makes all the difference to that kid."

If your teen is drawn to counseling, have them read the full interview together with you. It covers her schooling, a typical day and the parts of the job that are hard. (BLS Career Outlook, “Interview with a school counselor,” August 2016)

How Much Do Counseling Majors Make?

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (updated Aug. 27, 2026): May 2025 median pay and 2025–35 employment projections. Click any occupation for the BLS page. A dash means the figure is not shown in that BLS summary. Pay varies by state, employer and experience.

What Do Counseling Majors Study?

Undergraduates usually major in psychology, human services or a counseling-focused program: developmental and abnormal psychology, research methods, ethics, multicultural counseling and an introduction to counseling skills. The master's adds supervised practicum and internship hours, then a state license requires more supervised work after graduation.

Look for graduate programs accredited by CACREP, which many states prefer or require for licensure. And check whether a school's undergraduate program gives students real volunteer or practicum time. Hotlines, peer counseling and camp jobs count for a lot on a grad school application.

Is Counseling a Good Major?

We'll be straight with you, because our own numbers are. Our Counseling & Mental Health Loan vs Upside calculator starts from Continuum wages of about $45,000 early in a career and $67,000 at mid-career. At its default $50,000 loan (6.5% for 10 years), total repayment is about $68,129, and the estimated lifetime upside over a high-school-only path comes out negative, about −$415,134, under those assumptions. Change the inputs and the picture moves, but the warning is real: borrowing heavily for this path can hurt.

What helps: keeping undergraduate debt low, choosing a graduate program with paid assistantships, and looking at Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Counselors who work for nonprofits or government may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments. Many people in this field also say the pay understates the value of the work, and they're not wrong. You just want your kid to choose it with clear eyes.

How Will AI Affect Counseling Careers?

MajorMatch's AI task-exposure estimate for counseling is 30% (mental health counselors 25%, marriage and family therapists 19%). Note-taking and paperwork are the most exposed parts. The relationship in the room, and the license that comes with legal responsibility, are not. Compare majors in our AI-proof majors guide.

Is Counseling the Right Major for Your Teen?

It suits the patient, steady listener who can care about someone without carrying their pain home every night. If your teen likes the science of the mind more than sitting with clients, read our psychology degree guide.

Not sure? Take the assessment. It uses our own proprietary scoring method to compare your student's strengths and interests with all 100 majors, including counseling, and shows the top 3 free.

More Questions Parents Ask

What is the best major for a mental health counselor?

Psychology is the most common undergraduate path, followed by human services and social work. What matters most is a CACREP-accredited master's program and the supervised hours for a state license.

Is counseling a good degree?

It's a good degree for someone set on the work, because demand is strong. The pay is modest compared with the cost of graduate school, so keep borrowing low.

What can you do with a counseling degree besides therapy?

School and career counseling, rehabilitation counseling, case management, program coordination, and advising in colleges and nonprofits.

How long does it take to become a licensed counselor?

Usually about four years for the bachelor's and two to three for the master's. Most states also require about two years of supervised work after that.

Frequently Asked Questions