Australia's Top 6 Highest Paid Fields in Counselling

Becoming a counsellor can be both personally fulfilling and financially secure.

Counselling is a people-centred, hands-on career where you help your clients through a wide range of issues and events. Mental healthcare is becoming increasingly important to the Australian public, and future counsellors like you are the leaders for meeting this demand for counselling services.

There are many different types of counselling out there:

• Private sector vs. public service
• Group vs. one-on-one
• Children vs. Adult

There are also numerous types of counselling specialities out there. Although every counsellor, no matter the field, will have the same general bank of responsibilities and skills, specialty counsellors will have role-specific skills and responsibilities that often lead to better financial compensation.

Let’s take a look at Australia’s top 6 highest-paying jobs in counselling to help you better decide what career pathway is right for you.

Genetic counsellors help guide individuals and families through complex, often confronting, realities concerning genetic conditions and their consequences. In this counselling field, you will be knowledgeable in communication and counselling practices and human genetics, working closely with medical doctors.

The specialised training and medical knowledge required of a genetic counsellor make this one of Australia’s highest-paid counselling fields.

Genetic counsellors work in a range of environments, including:

• Hospitals
• Specialist clinics
• Genetic laboratories
• Obstetric ultrasound practices

Genetic counsellors are called upon to support patients and their families for many genetic-related reasons. However, most commonly, genetic counsellors help clients understand and process:

• Pregnancies at risk of genetic conditions or developmental complications.
• Fertility risks or limitations due to family genetic histories.
• The possibility or presence of early on-set genetic conditions such as cancer, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease.

To become a certified genetic counsellor, you will have to:

• Complete a Masters degree of Genetic Counselling
• Become an approved member of the Board of Censors (BOC) for Genetic Counselling (under the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA)
• Undergo two years of on-the-job training

Family counsellors focus their efforts on domestic situations concerning intimate relationship dynamics. This counselling specialty will see you undergo individual, couple, and family therapy sessions to better understand the difficulties experienced by your clients.

Often acting as a neutral mediator for people who are struggling to communicate in a healthy manner and find common ground, family counsellors:

• Help clients navigate both shared and individual issues.
• Help navigate thoughts, feelings and behaviours that are negatively impacting domestic relations.
• Formulate practical methods to help improve communication and relationship habits.

To become a relationship and family therapist, you can:

• Complete a Diploma of Counselling to gain insight into the industry. From here, you can choose to move into a related entry-level position or complete specialisation training to better educate yourself in family counselling.
• Complete a Bachelor’s degree in Counselling with a focus on family and relationship practices.
• Complete an Advanced Diploma or Masters in Counselling with a focus on family and relationships counselling.

After your relevant degree program, you can become certified by applying for membership with the ACA (Australian Counselling Association).

Substance abuse counsellors work with people from every walk of life, within every stage of the substance abuse and recovery cycle. From helping people identify and acknowledge their addiction, to understanding the underlying causes, to staying on the road to recovery — you’ll see it all in this counselling specialty.

As a substance abuse counsellor, you will conduct both group and one-on-one sessions.

Your responsibilities will range from evaluating new clients to determine the nature of their substance abuse (including their behaviours and habits surrounding consumption) to consistently formulating and updating individualised treatment plans.

You will work with a wide range of medical and support professionals to ensure your clients receive help in all areas that addiction can affect. These include:

• Family and friend support networks
• Financial support
• Medical support

It is possible to work as a substance abuse counsellor with no formal qualifications. However, many choose to enter the field by completing a Certificate IV or Diploma in Alcohol and other Drugs or a Certificate IV in Mental Health. This allows you to work as an alcohol and drug support worker, with the potential to become a counsellor with experience.

Otherwise, to become a registered substance abuse counsellor, you can complete a Diploma of Counselling with a specialised course in drugs and alcohol. Upon successful completion, you can then register with the ACA.

After your relevant degree program, you can become certified by applying for membership with the ACA (Australian Counselling Association).

Mental health counsellors work to improve their clients’ mental wellbeing via psychotherapy methods. These methods aim to help identify and improve negative human behaviour patterns often caused by mental illness.

This industry field requires you to blend psychology, therapy, and counselling practices and can lead you to more medical-orientated workplaces, such as:

• Mental health clinics
• Hospitals
• Medical support

Becoming a mental health counselling specialist will see you:

• Assessing and diagnosing types of mental health issues (often in collaboration with clinical psychologists and neuropsychologist)
• Conducting cognitive therapy in groups and one-to-one sessions
• Helping clients identify and understand triggering social situations, relationships, or behaviours that cause distress
• Helping formulate treatment plans for clients

To become a mental health professional, you can start with either a Diploma of Counselling or a Bachelor of Counselling (or an equivalent).

If you choose to complete a Diploma, you can then specialise your training qualifications by completing a Certificate IV in Mental Health and registering yourself with ACA. This will equip you to enter the workforce in a junior or supporting role within the mental health counselling industry.

If you choose to complete further study by means of a Bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, or Graduate Diploma in Counselling, you can choose to specialise in mental health. With this training, you’ll be able to enter the workforce at a more senior level.

Guidance or school counsellors usually work directly with children, adolescents and young adults through education systems (primary, high school, university). They help guide and counsel students in their educational journeys, as well as their personal and social lives to achieve emotional wellbeing (similar to social work).

In this role, your ‘clients’ will predominantly be children and adolescents.

Your responsibilities will fall mostly within dealing with school-orientated issues such as bullying, cyberbullying, peer pressure and future education or career guidance.

As such, communication about your students’ progress and well being is imperative. In this job, you’ll be the point of contact for multiple parties, including:

• Students
• School administration
• Teachers
• Parents or guardians

To become a guidance counsellor in most states of Australia, you’ll be required to:

• Complete an undergraduate degree in Counselling (or an education or psychology degree undergraduate)
• 2 years of supervised on-the-job training
• Register with your state’s teaching board
• Complete a Working with Children and Police Check

Some states require school counsellors to have a doctoral degree (ph.d) in the field of psychology (e.g. counselling psychology) and the correct licensure. This role is referred to as a school psychologist.

*Salaries in this counselling speciality can vary depending on your future employer’s status as an education provider (private or public).

Although they still play a supporting and guiding role in their clients’ lives, financial counsellors focus on helping people through finance-related hardships.

Money problems are incredibly stressful, and sometimes, we need a non-judgmental ear to listen to our worries.

Financial counsellors can help their clients:

• Prioritise their debts and bills
• Create payment plans and schedules to manage their finances better
• Research and apply for grants and concessions for their clients
• Help clients access legal help and advice
• Understand their spending habits and help them through their stress

Financial counsellors do not charge their clients. Rather, they work for community organisations and government agencies.

To become a financial counsellor, you will need to:

• Complete a Diploma of Financial Counselling
• Complete on-the-job professional development under professional supervision
• Become a member of a state-based financial counselling association

Many of these high-paying counselling jobs offer long-term career progression, flexibility, and real personal fulfilment. As your practical experience and expertise grow, so does your annual salary — and your ability to make a difference.

Explore accredited courses, discover the right study options, and find your perfect fit in this rewarding profession.