Child Counselor Salary, Earnings and Wage Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), child counselors on average earn salaries on par with those of other counselors including family and marriage therapists. In the most recent survery taken by the BLS, counselors earned an annual mean wage of $49,020. Those in the top 10 percentile of all counselors earned in excess of $74,000.

Salaries for counselors were highest among those working in Hawaii, where they earned over $74,000 a year. Even though counselors in Hawaii earn more than their counterparts working in other states, you need to take into consideration that Hawaii also has one of the highest costs of living in nation. If salary is a big consideration, then we would recommend pursuing career opportunities in child counseling in state where pay is competitive but the cost of living is low.

There are quite a few regions in the continental United States where counselors can expect to make an attractive salary yet the cost of living is quite low. The following are just a few metropolitan areas where the cost of living is low and pay is attractive:

• St. Louis, Missouri: $67k+
• Trenton, New Jersey: $67k+
• Santa Rosa, California: $64k+
• Houston, Texas: $68k+
• Atlanta, Georgia: $63k+ (has one of the lowest costs of living in the nation)

Don't forget. What you can expect to earn as a child psychologist will also be determined by the level of education you attain, your level of experience, and your employer. Obviously, those counselors with a doctoral degree and 20+ years of experience are going to earn more than a counselor straight out of college with a bachelor's degree.