Mental health plays a vital role in our overall well-being. While psychological issues prevent us from functioning properly and affect our quality of life, research by renowned institutions deduced most people today face some sort of minor mental health issue, if not illness, at one point in their lives.
This can be due to any major changes in your life, such as the death of a loved one, illness, or relationship issues.
Although mental health issues are common, the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation. For instance, mild depression symptoms were reported in around 16.2% of adults in the US during the pandemic.
But, within a few months, this number increased by almost 25%, which is why the role of mental health professionals, especially counselors, became more evident.
High-paying Counseling Careers
If you are interested in counseling and in the process of choosing a career, this article will be helpful. As a counselor, you will work with people, offer guidance, and help solve their personal, psychological, or social problems.
Moreover, counseling has a great job outlook due to the rising need for mental health services and a decent salary. So, here are some high-paying counseling careers you can choose from.
1. Career Counselor
As the name suggests, career counselors help people make career-related decisions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of career counselor was $60,510 in 2021.
However, you can expect to earn more with a 10% projected job growth. Your salary, on the other hand, will also depend on the place you work and your experience.
Career counselors can help clients make better decisions when they’re unemployed, thinking about changing their jobs or deciding on a career path. They may assess the client’s skills and help them choose the perfect career according to their abilities and goals.
Counselors might also help clients build effective resumes and help them prepare for interviews too. Overall, a career counselor acts as a source of support and guidance during career exploration.
2. School Counselor
School counselors play a vital role in cultivating young minds and helping students navigate academic life. But that’s not all; school counselors play many important roles besides academic guidance. For instance, school counselors help students deal with social or personal issues.
They improve student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships, help with college applications and choosing a major, and organize mental health resources for students.
As a student counselor, you can expect to earn around $60,510 per year. However, your location can have a great impact on your salary.
3. Marriage and Family Counselor
Marriage and family counseling aims to resolve conflicts between families, partners, siblings, etc. This form of counseling is conducted in groups where all involved parties are present. Family counselors help resolve any communication issues or other problems between family members.
They can help address several issues in a calm and controlled environment, such as infertility, parenting challenges, marital distress, etc.
Family counseling allows clients to solve issues without conflict, improve communication skills, set healthy boundaries, and strengthen the bond between family members.
4. Grief Counselor
Grief is an emotional and sometimes physical reaction to a traumatic event. And dealing with the pain or coming to terms with it can often be hard and almost impossible for people. Grief counseling helps people cope with their loss, such as divorce or the death of a loved one.
Counselors help people as they go through the different stages of grief and help them process the loss. They offer specialized support so people can process their emotions properly without suppressing anything that may cause issues later in life.
Grief counselors might use different techniques or exercises to help their clients. They may also recommend group therapy sessions if suitable.
The average salary of a grief counselor is around $45,160. However, your salary largely depends on your experience and location. Still, you can expect to earn much more in the future as counseling has a projected job growth of 22%, which is much faster than other careers.
5. Rehabilitation Counselor
Rehabilitation counselors mostly work with people with disabilities, whether they were born with them or they were caused due to an accident. They help people with physical, psychological, or developmental disabilities improve their functioning and lead better lives.
The counselor may first assess the client to get a sense of the extent of their disability. Then, they help clients develop skills that can help them manage the effects of their disability on their life.
Rehabilitation counselors can also help people with disabilities navigate their way through employment, living independently, and other issues they may face.
6. Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors help people battling substance, drug, or alcohol addiction. These counselors use different treatment methods to help people change their behavior and reduce their drug dependence to overcome addiction.
Substance abuse counselors can help people learn how to deal with their impulses by creating a routine, and they may also help them find a job or other mental health resources to help them get rid of their addiction.
Concluding Thoughts
Due to the recent increase in mental health issues, people have started to realize just how important taking care of their mental health is. This has increased the demand for mental health professionals, like counselors, who can help people cope with their psychological issues and improve their quality of life.
So, if you are looking for a career with lots of room for growth and great job opportunities, counseling might be the perfect choice for you.
