Primary Counselor

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$24.00 per hour

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Are You Looking for Your New Career? We are now hiring a Primary Counselor to join our dynamic team!

Salary Range: $24.00 per hour

We believe in cultivating a family culture and thrive on person-centered care, while building a positive culture focused on a shared vision, trust, communication, and collaboration. Our mission is to provide compassionate, quality care that focuses on the unique needs of our residents and families. We believe in teamwork, respect, appreciation, and integrity.

What Makes Us Special?

  • UKG Wallet: Access earned wages before payday.
  • Competitive Wages: We offer a great salary package.
  • Great Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Growth Opportunities: We support your professional development.
  • Continuing Education & Training: Stay current with industry standards.

Are you ready to contribute to a team committed to excellent customer service and dedicated to each individual’s unique talent?

If Yes, How You Will Contribute to the Team:

As a Primary Counselor, you will provide crucial therapeutic support to clients by assessing their needs, conducting individual and group counseling sessions, and implementing individualized behavioral programs.

You will work cooperatively with an interdisciplinary team under the supervision of the Program Director to offer treatment options, help resolve problems, and assist clients in managing stress, mental health challenges, and other life issues.

You will maintain case notes, monitor client progress, and actively participate in the development of treatment plans.

Must Have

  • Two years' direct care work experience in an inpatient or outpatient behavioral setting; or
  • Two years of college-level coursework including behavioral health; or
  • A combination of relevant experience and education totaling two years.

Nice to Have

  • Background education in psychology, sociology, social work, counseling, or related fields.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Pay Transparency Statement

Compensation for roles varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the location, role, skill set and level of experience. As required by state or local law, we provide a reasonable pay scale to include the hourly or salary range that we reasonably expect to pay for roles, as stated above.

Key Responsibilities

The Primary Counselor provides therapeutic support by assessing client needs, conducting counseling sessions, and implementing behavioral programs. They also maintain case notes, monitor progress, and collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to develop treatment plans.

Requirements

Candidates must have at least two years of direct care experience in a behavioral setting or two years of college-level coursework in behavioral health. A background in psychology, sociology, social work, or counseling is preferred.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentIndividual counselingCase managementTreatment planningCrisis interventionMental health supportInterdisciplinary collaborationDocumentationPatient monitoring

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 18% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$50k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $45k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 17.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 26 employers

8
<$90k
11
$90k-110k
9
$110k-130k
6
$130k-150k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks29 jobs · 26 employers

401k / retirement match
93%
CME allowance
38% this job
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
3%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Encinitas, California

$118k-$135k
#3

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$115k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 3.0
Better work-life than 10% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 561 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Santa Ana

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$882k
Typical market rent
$2,812/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Royale Therapeutic Residential Center logo

About Royale Therapeutic Residential Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Santa Ana, California
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

UKG Wallet
Competitive Wages
Medical, Dental, Vision
Growth Opportunities
Continuing Education & Training