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Are You Cut Out for a Counseling Career?

By Kate McIntyre
Learning & Life Columnist
February 9, 2007

The Wall Street Journal recently published a study listing careers in counseling and social work as some of the most satisfying in the country. This should come as no surprise, for there are few other careers in which you can have such an immediate and dramatically positive impact on people's lives.

Degrees for Counseling and Social Work

You can take several paths to arrive at careers in social work and counseling. For social work, bachelor's degrees in social work or social services, psychology, and sociology are all appropriate entry points. If you are interested in working in a medical or clinical setting, you need your master's degree in social work. Counselors should earn their bachelor's degrees in psychology, counseling, or behavioral science, and then their master's degrees in counseling. State governments dictate the training and licensing requirements for each counseling specialty, so make sure that you check the specific rules for your state.

Specialties for Counselors and Social Workers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of all counselors work for schools. Other popular options include rehabilitation counseling for people with disabilities, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, and marriage counseling. Counselors make $45,570 per year on average.

Most social workers specialize in children, families, and schools. Others choose to focus on substance abuse, mental health, medical, and public health. Social workers' salaries vary by specialty. Child, family, and school social workers make about $34,820 per year. Medical and public health social workers can earn $40,080, and substance abuse and mental health social workers make $33,920 yearly on average.

As a counselor or social worker, you provide an invaluable service to people going through rough times in their lives. Watching your clients' lives improve with your help is more than satisfying. It's inspiring.

Sources:

• The Wall Street Journal, "2006 Best Careers: The Results Are In"
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Counselors"
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Social Workers"

About the Author
Kate McIntyre, a fiction writer in Portland, Oregon, holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.

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