What Do Adolescent Counselors Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for adolescent counselors?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what adolescent counselors do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Adolescent Counselors Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about adolescent counselors by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Adolescent Counselors all counselors not listed separately.
Popular Job Titles For Adolescent Counselors
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Behavior Technicians
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts
- Registered Behavior Technicians
- ABA Behavioral Technicians
- Youth Counselors
- Behavioral Technicians
- Behavior Analysts
- Autism Behavior Technicians
- Youth Care Workers
- Behavior Technicians/ABA Therapists
- Youth Workers
- Interventionists
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for adolescent counselors can be found.
Best Industries for Adolescent Counselors
Adolescent Counselors Jobs By Industry
- Individual and Family Services: 21.6%
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners: 21%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 6.8%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 6.3%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 5.4%
- Home Health Care Services: 3.3%
- Other: 35.6%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of adolescent counselors can be found working in the Individual and Family Services sector. In 2023, about 21.6% of all jobs for adolescent counselors were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Offices of Other Health Practitioners (21%), State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (6.8%), Outpatient Care Centers (6.3%), Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (5.4%) and Home Health Care Services (3.3%).
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What Do Adolescent Counselors Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what adolescent counselors do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work adolescent counselors do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that adolescent counselors tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for adolescent counselors, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Adolescent Counselors
Based on 105,482 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Adolescent Counselors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 38,828 | 37% |
| Treatment Planning | 28,182 | 27% |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 26,754 | 25% |
| Psychology | 22,817 | 22% |
| Working With Children | 20,303 | 19% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Adolescent Counselors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 39,751 | 38% |
| Teaching | 19,915 | 19% |
| Social Skills | 9,173 | 9% |
| Writing | 9,087 | 9% |
| Problem Solving | 9,077 | 9% |
Based on 105,482 job postings related to adolescent counselors, autism spectrum disorders was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 37% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for treatment planning, applied behavior analysis, psychology, working with children and data collection were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for adolescent counselors, followed by teaching, social skills, writing, problem solving and management.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 38,828 | 37% |
| Treatment Planning | 28,182 | 27% |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 26,754 | 25% |
| Psychology | 22,817 | 22% |
| Working With Children | 20,303 | 19% |
| Data Collection | 19,207 | 18% |
| Intervention Plans | 13,791 | 13% |
| Special Education | 12,137 | 12% |
| Developmental Disabilities | 12,103 | 11% |
| Social Work | 9,447 | 9% |
| Mental Health | 9,162 | 9% |
| Behavioral Health | 8,940 | 8% |
| Behaviour Therapy | 8,170 | 8% |
| Caregiving | 7,991 | 8% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 6,872 | 7% |
| Behavior Management | 6,264 | 6% |
| Functional Behavior Assessment | 5,959 | 6% |
| Disabilities | 5,940 | 6% |
| Crisis Intervention | 5,289 | 5% |
| Positive Behavior Support | 5,276 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 39,751 | 38% |
| Teaching | 19,915 | 19% |
| Social Skills | 9,173 | 9% |
| Writing | 9,087 | 9% |
| Problem Solving | 9,077 | 9% |
| Management | 8,542 | 8% |
| Leadership | 8,221 | 8% |
| Lifting Ability | 8,131 | 8% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 7,981 | 8% |
| Research | 6,942 | 7% |
| Planning | 6,680 | 6% |
| Mentorship | 6,647 | 6% |
| Professionalism | 6,585 | 6% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 6,144 | 6% |
| Compassion | 6,037 | 6% |
| Time Management | 5,972 | 6% |
| Organizational Skills | 5,321 | 5% |
| Detail Oriented | 5,299 | 5% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 5,013 | 5% |
| Patience | 4,813 | 5% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Adolescent Counselors
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior Technicians | 97,728 | 21.3% |
| Board Certified Behavior Analysts | 225,856 | 49.2% |
| Registered Behavior Technicians | 85,537 | 18.6% |
| ABA Behavioral Technicians | 15,142 | 3.3% |
| Youth Counselors | 4,486 | 1% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was behavior technicians, with 27,241 unique job postings. Board certified behavior analysts were second, with 20,937 postings, followed by registered behavior technicians, aba behavioral technicians and youth counselors.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to adolescent counselors.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior Technicians | 97,728 | 21.3% |
| Board Certified Behavior Analysts | 225,856 | 49.2% |
| Registered Behavior Technicians | 85,537 | 18.6% |
| ABA Behavioral Technicians | 15,142 | 3.3% |
| Youth Counselors | 4,486 | 1% |
| Behavioral Technicians | 5,158 | 1.1% |
| Behavior Analysts | 4,909 | 1.1% |
| Autism Behavior Technicians | 3,259 | 0.7% |
| Youth Care Workers | 2,698 | 0.6% |
| Behavior Technicians/ABA Therapists | 2,082 | 0.5% |
| Youth Workers | 1,468 | 0.3% |
| Interventionists | 1,779 | 0.4% |
| Residential Youth Counselors | 1,219 | 0.3% |
| Behavior Specialists | 890 | 0.2% |
| Youth Development Counselors | 890 | 0.2% |
| Behavior Interventionists | 1,511 | 0.3% |
| ABA Technicians | 1,124 | 0.2% |
| Applied Behavior Analysts | 970 | 0.2% |
| Behavioral Health Technicians | 887 | 0.2% |
| Adolescent Counselors | 1,223 | 0.3% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for adolescent counselors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for adolescent counselors.
How much do adolescent counselors make?
Adolescent Counselors: How do you become one?
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