Career Options and Facts

Professional Counseling is the application of talk therapy with instructional, guidance, counseling, psychotherapy, and evaluation procedures to positively impact the cognitive, affective, behavioral functional of an individual. Counselors aspire to improve client’s psychological well-being, wellness, personal growth, career development, mental health, and interpersonal and intrapersonal functioning. Counselors employ systemic interventions and strategies that address skill deficiency remediation and amelioration of psychopathology.

Practice Locations

Professional counselors and rehabilitation specialists serve people from the very young to senior adults (children, adolescents, young adults, individuals in unique groups, couples, families, adults, and senior citizens) in schools, independent practice, community agencies, business, management, behavioral health care organizations, integrated delivery systems, employee assistance programs, substance abuse treatment centers, and hospital settings, always with the goal of improving the lives of their clients and consumers. 

Earnings and Employment Facts

Addiction Counselors and Mental Health Counselors

• Median annual earnings of addiction counselors and mental health counselors in 2018 were $44,630 or $21.46 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,240, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $72,990.
• In 2018, there were 304,500 addiction and mental health counselors in the United States
• Addiction counseling and mental health counseling fields are expected to grow by 22 percent between 2018 and 2028.

^{Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov}

Rehabilitation Counselors

• Median annual earnings of rehabilitation counselors in 2018 were $35,630 or $17.13 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,990, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,820.
• In 2018, there were 119,700 rehabilitation counselors in the United States.
• Rehabilitation counseling field is expected to grow by 10 percent between 2018 and 2028. 

^{Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Rehabilitation Counselors, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov}

School Counselors 

• Median annual earnings of school and career counselors in 2018 were $56,310 or $27.07 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,610, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $94,690. 
• In 2018, there were 324,500 school and career counselors in the United States.
• School counseling and career counseling fields are expected to grow by 8 percent between 2018 and 2028. 

^{Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, School and Career Counselors, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov}

Alumni Survey Report 2019

• 37 alumni from Wright State's counseling programs participated in a survey regarding their experiences upon graduation 
  • 27 were from Clinical Mental Health Counseling, 6 from School Counseling, 2 from Organizational Counseling, and 2 from Addictions Counseling
  • 75 percent took the National Counseling Examination (NCE) 
• 31 out of 37 (83.78 percent) participating alumni indicated that they had obtained employment in their recognized fields, or in a related/comparable recognized occupation, within 180 days (6 months) of graduation 
• Of the 31 alumni who obtained relevant employment: initial, post-graduation starting salary ranges were reported as follows:
  • $19,999 or less = 3.23%
  • $20,000 to $29,999 = 6.45%
  • $30,000 to $39,999 = 38.71%
  • $40,000 to $49,999 = 51.61%

Counseling Ethics

Professional counselors adhere to rigorous professional codes of ethics and standards of practice. You can review these sites to see them in detail.

• American Counseling Association: Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. (click on Resources in the top banner, then ETHICS on the left)
• American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
• American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
• The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC)
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
• National Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NRCA)
• Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (OCSWMFT)