School Counselor job description.
A School Counselor supports students' academic, social, and emotional development through individual and group counseling. They help students navigate course planning, college or career readiness, and personal challenges while collaborating with teachers, parents, and administrators.
The School Counselor job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: School Counselor Reports to: Principal or Director of Student Services
A School Counselor supports students' academic, social, and emotional development through individual and group counseling. They help students navigate course planning, college or career readiness, and personal challenges while collaborating with teachers, parents, and administrators.
- Provide individual and group counseling to students
- Develop academic plans and support course selection
- Guide students on college and career readiness
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Principal or Director of Student Services
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Provide individual and group counseling to students
- Develop academic plans and support course selection
- Guide students on college and career readiness
- Identify and address social, emotional, or behavioral concerns
- Collaborate with teachers and parents on student support plans
- Facilitate crisis intervention and refer students to outside resources
- Maintain accurate and confidential student records
- Deliver classroom presentations on relevant topics
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Master's degree in school counseling or related field
- Current licensure/board certification as required by state and employer
- Strong communication and active listening skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Experience with crisis intervention protocols
- Bilingual communication skills
- Familiarity with college application and financial aid processes
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the School Counselor job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this School Counselor job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Principal or Director of Student Services) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What licensing does a school counselor need?
- School counselors need current licensure/board certification as required by state and employer, typically alongside a master's degree.
- Do school counselors handle mental health crises?
- Yes, they are often trained to provide initial crisis intervention and refer students to outside mental health resources when needed.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
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A Teacher plans, delivers, and assesses learning for students across one or more subject areas.
Psychologist
A psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral conditions using evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
This School Counselor job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.