High School Counselor Job Description

Advocacy

High school counselors advocate for students and assist them in their educational goals. This involves working with universities and trade schools to create partnerships that could lead to learning opportunities or potential scholarships.

Counselors work with all students, but they may spend more time with those who lag socially or educationally. Counselors assist these students by providing helpful resources, programs and individuals. Counselors are also increasingly being expected to understand how to counsel students involved with drugs and alcohol and those with suicidal thoughts.

A master's degree is often required to become a licensed counselor, but the guidelines established by states and school districts vary. A bachelor's degree is imperative to finding a position. Some of the college or training courses that can assist a high school counselor include secondary school counseling, career counseling, career development, and human growth and development.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual salary for educational, vocational and school counselors was about $51,000 as of 2008. This includes high school counselors as well as college and vocational school counselors. The BLS also says counselors in elementary and secondary schools earn an average of $57,800 as of 2008.

Those who are interested in becoming a high school counselor should have a strong desire to help others and be willing to sacrifice their own comfort to see a student accomplish goals. High school counselors should be able to inspire respect, confidence and trust. They must also be able to deal with stress, particularly stress that relates to issues that adolescents face.

Educational and vocational counseling jobs are predicted to increase about 14 percent between 2008 and 2018. Because most states require schools to employ counselors, high school counselors can expect to be able to find work as long as teenagers continue to attend high school. The expansion of the responsibilities of high school counselors is also expected to influence the increase of available jobs.