How to Become a School Counselor

School counselors work in K-12 schools to promote student success. As a school or guidance counselor, you may help students navigate their educational environments, cope with personal issues, and prepare for college and careers before they finish high school.

In this guide, we’ll break down what you need to do to become a school counselor, including earning your degrees, gaining work experience, and passing certification or licensure exams.

Here are the steps you’ll need to follow to become a school counselor:

First, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field.

Unless you already have an associate degree, earning a bachelor’s degree will take roughly four years of full-time study to complete around 120 credits.

Earning a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field is required for becoming a school counselor. Just make sure you enroll in a program accredited by a credible agency such as the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) or the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Master’s programs will build on your bachelor’s degree and help you gain an advanced understanding of human minds, behavior, and development across the lifespan.

Many master’s programs offer a supervised internship and practica (or clinical experiences), which can give you direct training in a school.

The number of hours you’ll need to spend in your internship or practicum will depend on your state. However, you’ll receive plenty of opportunities to apply your new knowledge and build essential counseling skills under the supervision of experienced school counselors.

The final step to becoming a school counselor is to pass your state’s school counseling exams. These exams test your knowledge of the school counseling role, human growth and development, counseling skills and interventions, and the ethical and legal strands of school counseling.

Your licensure exam will take place on a computer and feature multiple-choice questions. Make sure you choose a master’s program with a history of preparing students for licensure exams.

For more information on your state’s requirements, consult the state/territory certification section of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) website.

You’ll likely spend 6-8 years in education and training before you can become a school counselor.

Once you earn your bachelor’s degree, which takes roughly four years, you’ll need to earn a master’s degree, which typically takes another 2-3 years.

You’ll then need to complete an internship or clinical program to gain counseling experience.

Finally, you’ll need to study for and pass a certification or licensure exam, the specifics of which are determined by your state.

Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn a median annual salary of $61,710 as of May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Professionals in California earned an average annual salary of $85,820 in 2003, the highest salary of any state, as per the BLS. Washington and Massachusetts had the next-highest average annual salaries at $81,280 and $79,670 respectively in 2023.

Every career path has pros and cons that will fit each person’s situation and preferences differently.

“School counselors have an important role in guiding student success, which can lead to a fulfilling career,” said Rayelle Davis, a licensed clinical professional counselor (LPCC). “School counseling jobs often have the benefits of a set schedule while also allowing for flexibility and creativity in the role.” “The bureaucracy of the school system and negotiating the competing needs of students, teachers, administrators, and parents can be stressful,” said Davis.