STATE OF THE PROFESSIONCounselor Compensation in 2014

Presented by IQ Strategic

MACRO OBJECTIVES

• Help Counselors• Inform those in the profession• Identify trends• Identify areas of focus for ACA and

ACA Divisions to provide more support

STUDY OBJECTIVES

• Define compensation and benefits typical of 4 major sub-specialties–Mental Health Counselors– Counselor Educators– Rehabilitation Counselors– School Counselors

STUDY OBJECTIVES

• Understand differences in compensation between specialties

• Understand the impact of:– Geography– Education–Work Setting– Length of Service

STUDY OBJECTIVES

• Understand how work schedules and secondary positions affect compensation– Part Time vs Full Time– 12 month vs less than 12 month schedule–Multiple positions such as adjunct professors

or a secondary private practice

• Examine Private Practitioners as a separate group

METHODOLOGY

• Decided on a stratified sample in order to conduct analysis by specialty– Mental Health– School Counselors– Rehab Counselors– Counselor Educators

• Sample Sources both inside and outside ACA membership in order to make comparisons regarding impact of membership on salary– State Licensure Lists– Self-identified School Counselors– CRCC Membership List– Database of Counselor Educators

• An effort was made to identify comprehensive sources in each specialty

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METHODOLOGY

Specialty ACA Members

Margin of Error

Non-Members

Margin of Error

Total Margin of Error

Mental Health 4,169 1.5% 876 3.3% 5,045 1.4%

Rehab 149 8.0% 442 4.6% 581 3.96%School 550 4.1% 1,113 2.89% 1,663 2.3%Counselor Educator 491 4.1% 85 10.4% 576 3.7%

Other 875 3.7% 209 6.8% 1,084 3.0%

Margin of error calculated at 95% confidence

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

CredentialsMembers of each specialty received a question specific to the credentials offered within that specialty. Mental Health Counselors were asked if they hold an LPC, while rehabilitation counselors and school counselors were asked about certification.

CREDENTIALS

WORK SETTING

WORK SETTING

Full-Time/Part-TimePart-time work was defined as less than 25 hours per week for purposes of this study. Only 14% of counselors work part-time in their primary position. Many counselors do hold a secondary part-time position.

STATUS

Secondary PositionsOverall, 34% of counselors hold a secondary position outside of their primary counseling position.

Counselor educators are most likely to hold a secondary position. Private Practice is the most frequently held secondary position.

SECONDARY POSITIONS

Mental Health Counselors

Counselor Educators

Rehabilitation Counselors

School Counselors

Other

$40,442.00

$66,406.00

$53,561.00

$53,299.00

$61,074.00

Average Compensation

COMPENSATION

BENEFITS

PAID LEAVE

EDUCATION BENEFITS

PRIVATE PRACTICE

GEOGRAPHY

COMPENSATION

CONCLUSIONS

• The benefits offered by employers to counselors are, in many cases, much better than what is available to the typical employee in the United States.

• Those who stay with the profession are generally rewarded with higher earnings over time.

• One in three counselors pursue their passion for helping others not just through their day jobs, but through second jobs, such as private practice and adjunct teaching.

• Private practitioners frequently take care of all aspects of business management, meaning they need to learn business skills, such as accounting.