How to become a counsellor in Australia
Counsellors provide information on vocational, relationship, social and educational difficulties and issues, and work with people to help them to identify and define their emotional issues through therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, interpersonal therapy and other talking therapies.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the counsellors group are projected to grow 23.4% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Working with clients on career, study and employment options by obtaining and examining information relevant to their abilities and needs
- Providing information and resources to assist clients with job-seeking skills
- Assessing client needs in relation to treatment for drug and alcohol abuse
- Conducting counselling interviews with individuals, couples and family groups
- Assisting the understanding and adjustment of attitudes, expectations and behaviour to develop more effective interpersonal and marital relationships
- Presenting alternative approaches and discussing potential for attitude and behaviour change
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the counsellors group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 73% a degree or higher, 13% a diploma, 6% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria6 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Health Sciences (Rehabilitation Counselling major) · La Trobe, Melbourne55.55Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 5 of 6 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT20 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Counselling · Notre Dame70.95 Bachelor of Arts (Counselling) · Avondale70.05Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 9 of 20 matches. Search every course.
Queensland27 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Counselling · UniSC, Sunshine Coast57.70Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 10 of 27 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia3 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Counselling · ECU, Joondalup70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling · ECU, Joondalup69.55Matched on course names, 56 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Social, Investigative, Artistic.
From O*NET ratings for "Marriage and Family Therapists", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.