Adoption Counselor
Listed compensation
$46K–$69K
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
Salary Range:$45,796.40 - $68,694.60
Works under the general direction of the Animal Shelter Director to provide counseling to customers interested in adopting pets from the Memphis Animal Shelter (MAS). Greets and assists visitors interested in adopting animals.
Conducts interviews and screens adoption applications. Recommends animals based on adopter lifestyles and preferences. Educates adopters on animal care, behavior, and training. Processes adoption paperwork and collects associated fees. Maintains accurate records of adoptions and animal profiles.
Monitors animal behavior and reports concerns to medical or behavior staff. Handles, walks, feeds, and socializes animals as needed. Responds to inquiries via phone, email, and in person. Coordinates with shelter staff, volunteers, and rescue partners. Participates in adoption events and community outreach activities.
Supports shelter operations, including cleaning and organizing. Follows safety protocols and proper animal handling procedures.
Key Responsibilities
The Adoption Counselor provides counseling to prospective pet adopters, greeting visitors, conducting interviews, screening applications, and recommending suitable animals based on lifestyle. This role also involves processing adoption paperwork, collecting fees, maintaining records, and monitoring animal behavior.
Requirements
Candidates need a High School Graduate/GED Equivalent education, with a preference for a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Psychology, or a related field plus two years of professional counseling experience involving animal services. Working experience with animals is strongly preferred, and bilingual proficiency in Spanish is a plus.
Qualifications
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Counseling Psychology — Counselor Career Context
Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 38% have no call, 70% require no weekends.
The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$57k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $62k in an average-cost state. 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Adoption Counselor at City of Memphis a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Counseling Psychology — ranked against 79 active Counseling Psychology listings on WeekdayDoc.
Location & Logistics
Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$57k midpoint, that is roughly $2k–$4k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.
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Living in Memphis
- Typical 3-bedroom home value
- $142k≈ 3.1× annual pay
- Typical market rent
- $1,232/mo≈ 32% of gross pay
- Residents’ average commute
- 21 min
- Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
- 92.2
- State income tax
- None
Sources & methodology
Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.
BEA 2024 · Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.
Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.