The Average Salary of a Juvenile Court Counselor
A juvenile court counselor is responsible for maintaining casework of juveniles who have committed crimes and, consequently, have come under the court’s jurisdiction. On an ongoing basis, juvenile court counselors evaluate and counsel juveniles with the intention of helping to rehabilitate them. The counselors also work with juveniles' family members to assess the root of the juveniles' problem.
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Educational Requirements
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While educational requirements depend on the state in which the prospective counselor lives, as well as specialty, a graduate degree is typically required to earn certification or licensure, after which rehabilitation counseling is just one of many areas that counselors can study. Moreover, prospective counselors can prepare by studying psychology, human services or education programs at the college or university levels. Probation officers, who also counsel juveniles, may earn degrees in social work and criminal justice, as well as psychology.
Average Salaries
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The average salaries for counselors were $41,650 a year as of 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wages. The mean annual salary for counselors was $44,380. Counselors in the 10th percentile of wage earners received an average salary of $23,540 and those in the 25th percentile earned $31,740. Counselors in the 75th and 90th percentiles of wage earners grossed $55,970 and $69,440 a year, on average.
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Top-Paying States
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Juvenile court counselors will earn the highest salaries in Texas. In Texas, counselors earn an average of $57,880 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counselors earn the second-highest salaries in Hawaii, where the annual average salaries are $53,520. North Carolina follows, and counselors in that state earn $52,260, on average. In Alaska and Ohio, counselors earn $49,780 and $47,070, respectively.
Best Opportunities for Employment
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Counselors in Texas will find the best opportunities for employment, as employment opportunities in Texas as of 2010 were nearly three times the national average. Counselors in New Jersey, Florida, Illinois and California follow, consecutively, and employment levels in each of the four states were higher than the national average. In New Jersey and Florida, the opportunity for employment is nearly twice the national average.
Highest Concentration of Employment
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Kansas has the best concentration of counselor jobs in the nation, which is four times the national average. Texas, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Louisiana follow, with the highest concentration of employment per 1,000 jobs. In each of those states, concentration of employment is more than twice the national average. Concentration of employment in Texas and New Hampshire are nearly three times the national average.
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References
- Burea of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11, Counselors
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics, Counselors, All Others
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages 2010-11 Edition, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
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