Careers in School Counseling
As in the other areas of professional counseling, employment opportunities for school counselors are projected to outpace standards occupational growth through 2032 according to U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) report on school counselors.
The OOH projects an additional 18,400 jobs in the profession over the next 8 years, faster than average growth (5%), and approximately 26,000 school counseling employment opportunities each year between 2022 to 2032.
The median annual wage for School Counselors in 2022 was $60,140 with the lowest 10% earning less than $38,280 and the highest 10% earning more than $98,530/year. School Counselors earn considerably more than the $46,310 median wage listed for all other occupations.
What Are My Employment Opportunities With This Degree?
In addition to certification eligibility in Pennsylvania as a PreK - 12 Elementary and Secondary School Counselor, graduates of our program are also qualified to work towards licensure in Pennsylvania as Clinical Mental Health Counselors, which enables them to earn their Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credentials. This pathway, alongside other professional development credentials, opens doors for our graduates to pursue a wide variety of professional counseling careers that include:
- Mental health agencies
- Drug and alcohol or substance abuse agencies
- Training and development specialist positions
- Legislative advocacy positions
- PreK-12 education administrative leadership positions
- Higher education counseling, advising, and admissions counselor positions
- Churches
- Hospitals
- Case management positions
- Probation, parole, and incarceration officers and counselors
- Private practice
Future Employment Assistance
Many students have recently secured employment prior to graduation due to the high demand for School Counselors. We have an active alumni network and an outstanding regional reputation, so we receive numerous position announcements on a regular basis which we forward rapidly to our graduate student listserv.
The Pennsylvania School Counselor Association (PSCA) maintains an active Job Postings Board.
Additionally, the university offers comprehensive career counseling service to its students through the Roche Family Center for Career Development.
Read More About the Value of School Counselors and Existing Employment Shortages
The American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) Empirical Research Studies Supporting the Value of School Counseling report summarizes the numerous ways that School Counselors aid and assist students with academic development, college, and career readiness, and social/emotional development.
The Pennsylvania School Counselor Association (PSCA) Staffing Report (2021-2022) outlines the challenges, opportunities, and current state of the profession in Pennsylvania.
The American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) Current Issues in Education report (September, 2023) states that our nation's school districts are struggling to fill vacant positions with 40% of schools reporting non-teaching staff vacancies.