What Can You Do With a Master’s in Counseling?

Counselors play a crucial role in helping people navigate life’s challenges. From students looking for career guidance, to patients struggling with health issues or substance use, to families and couples working on relationship dynamics, counselors provide the tools people need to move forward.

Choosing a career in counseling—and deciding what you can do with a master’s in counseling—is often a personal choice. Many graduates can choose to work in a specific area of counseling or mental health care. By completing an advanced degree, such as a Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, students can develop the skills to achieve their personal and professional goals.

What Is Counseling?

Counselors are highly educated and experienced professionals trained to provide evidence-based guidance, mental health support, therapeutic strategies, and general counseling to individuals and groups. Counseling involves professional guidance services between a counselor and a patient or a client.

Depending on the type of facility, the needs of patients or clients can vary, and counselors may require different skill sets or techniques, levels of education or certifications, types of clinical experience, and foundational or theoretical knowledge.

How to Become a Counselor

The services that counselors provide require extensive training, advanced education, and clinical experience. While some entry-level jobs may be attainable through an associate degree or certifications, typically, the pathway to a career in counseling requires more advanced education.

Many careers in counseling require graduates to have completed:

• Bachelor’s degree, typically in a related field
• Master’s degree in counseling
• Supervised clinical hours, which can vary based on licensure requirements and state regulations
• State-required licensure and certification

The educational and clinical hour requirements can vary depending on the type of career a counselor is pursuing; state requirements; and whether they’re looking to advance to clinical roles, such as a psychologist, which requires a doctoral-level education.

Counseling Careers and Salary Outlook

Counselors can play a key role in helping people manage issues in many aspects of their lives. The roles you can pursue with a master’s in counseling include working in community centers, schools, healthcare facilities, public and private practices, and government organizations.

Clinical Therapist

Clinical therapists help individuals, families, and groups address and manage mental health struggles and build healthy coping strategies for life’s challenges. They often treat patients long term, delving deeper into behavioral patterns or ongoing mental health conditions using therapy techniques.

The average annual salary for clinical therapists was $59,920 as of December 2025, according to Payscale. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that psychologists will experience 6% career growth between 2024 and 2034.

Substance Abuse Counselor

Nationwide, many people struggle with addiction and substance abuse. Substance abuse counselors can support clients by connecting them to resources and helping them build coping skills for long-term recovery.

The BLS reported a median annual salary of $59,190 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors as of May 2024, with 17% job growth projected for 2024 to 2034.

Academic or Career Counselor

Academic and career counselors help students and individuals plan for the future and reach their goals. Whether looking for guidance in choosing the right program or courses in education; strategizing to make the next step in their career; or exploring options based on strengths, weaknesses, and the job market, academic and career counselors provide valuable direction to students and professionals.

According to the BLS, school and career counselors and advisors earned a median annual salary of $65,140 as of May 2024, with 4% job growth projected for  2024 to 2034.

Make a Positive Impact as a Counselor

Counselors provide their clients with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate life’s many challenges. While what you can do with a master’s in counseling may change from one facility to the next, investing in a higher education is an invaluable step in many practitioners’ careers. By earning a degree such as the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from New England College, graduates can set themselves up for success.

An MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from NEC is a rigorous 24-month program that includes an intensive field experience program and courses in addiction counseling, relationship counseling, and career counseling. Graduates can become marriage and family therapists, substance use counselors, or career counselors.

Discover how you can build a fulfilling career with an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from NEC.

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