Is a master's in counseling worth it?

How to decide whether a master's in counseling is right for you

Maybe you feel stuck in your career and want to find more meaningful work. Or, you want to grow your career by getting your master's degree, and counseling interests you. You may have always been interested in a career as a counselor, but you don't want to attend school on campus full time. Read ahead to discover if there are counseling programs that fit your particular needs.

Here are three reasons why you might want to pursue a master's in counseling.

1. You want to be a counselor.

Education requirements for counseling careers vary by occupation. According to O*NET data, typical education levels for three common counseling occupations include:

• School and career counselors: a bachelor's degree or master's degree is usually needed, per O*NET
• Marriage and family therapists: a master's degree is usually needed, per O*NET
• Rehabilitation counselors: a master's degree or bachelor's degree is usually needed

The exact license title and requirements vary by state, so confirm the specifics — including which license your intended career path requires — with your state's licensing board before choosing a program.

Across these three occupations plus substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors — four counseling occupation groups in total — more than 1 million wage-and-salary jobs were reported nationally as of May 2025, a figure that excludes self-employed counselors, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.

2. You have an interest in psychology.

Counseling graduate programs build knowledge across several core areas, including human growth and development across the lifespan, counseling theories and helping relationships, group work, and assessment, according to CACREP's 2024 accreditation standards for entry-level counseling programs.

Counseling is tied closely to psychology. If you're fascinated by what makes humans tick, you'll likely enjoy work as a counselor.

3. You're caring and have a passion for helping people.

Empathy, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and active listening are among the traits O*NET identifies as important for school and career counselors. Counselors work with the best interest of their clients in mind and make a meaningful impact on those they work with.

Every day in your work as a counselor, you have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of other people. If you thrive on working with people and enjoy relationship building, you might enjoy work as a counselor.

Financial return on investment for a counseling master's

The financial return on investment you'll make with a counseling master's will depend on a variety of factors. These include how much more you may make in a counseling job and how many years you plan to work.

The environment you work in will also influence your salary as a counselor. Nationally, school and career counselors had a median annual wage of $64,330 as of May 2025, and marriage and family therapists had a median annual wage of $66,940, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.

Federal financial aid, including loans and, for those who qualify, grants along with counseling scholarships, can help offset the cost of a counseling master's, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid overview for graduate and professional students. Check with your program's financial aid office to learn what's available to you.

How much could a master of counseling increase your salary on average?

Again, that will depend on a variety of factors, including where you work geographically, what industry you work in and how many years of experience you have.

More broadly, workers with a master's degree tend to out-earn those with a bachelor's degree only: median usual weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and over with a master's degree were $1,876, compared with $1,578 for workers with a bachelor's degree only, according to BLS data on earnings by educational attainment (May 2025). This reflects earnings differences across all occupations and education levels, not counseling specifically, so treat it as general context rather than a prediction of what a counseling master's would add to your own salary.

Find more information related to salary and career outlook for school counselors and mental health counselors.

Counseling degree alternatives

If counseling sounds interesting but you're not sure a master of counseling is the right degree for you, then consider these counseling degree alternatives:

Master's in psychology

A master's in psychology is another graduate path to consider if you're interested in human behavior.

Master's in marriage and family therapy

Marriage and family therapists work with couples and families, and a master's degree is usually needed for this occupation, according to O*NET. If that population interests you, a master's in marriage and family therapy (MFT) is the degree path most directly aligned with it.

Master's in social work

If you love helping people, you might be interested in a career in social work. Child, family and school social workers work with at-risk individuals and families and advocate on their behalf, and a bachelor's or master's degree is usually needed for this work, according to O*NET. A master's in social work is one path into this field.

Learn more about online counseling master's programs

Whatever type of population you want to help, there are online master's programs designed to enable you to pursue your career goals. CACREP-accredited entry-level programs still require supervised practicum and internship experience with actual clients, so confirm your program's field-placement and state requirements before enrolling.