Counselor w/o Bachelors degree

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$19.25 per hour

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Northwood Children’s Services is currently looking to fill the position of Counselor. This can be a full time or part time position at our main and west, and full time at our corporate foster care locations

Counselors are responsible for the day-to-day care and supervision of students. Counselors provide a constructive model for students to emulate, teach various coping and communication skills, physical and social skills, and help students develop cultural awareness and spiritual opportunities.

These responsibilities are met through the counselor’s involvement with students and through the creation of a living and learning environment that offers a variety of opportunities to serve/meet students’ recreational, intellectual, social and emotional needs.

Mission

Northwood Children’s Services is looking to hire individuals who are committed to helping us fulfill our mission of building brighter futures for the children and the families we serve. We operate a full continuum of quality mental health treatment programs delivered by passionate, professional and highly trained staff.

Vision

Our vision is to provide the right service at the right time with a focus on integrated and continuous care.

Values

The children, first and foremost; Excellence in all that we do so we become the program of choice in each of the service areas we choose to operate; Provide every opportunity for children and their families to enrich their lives; To continue our rich history and legacy of professionalism and community service; To serve children and families with significant challenges and barriers.

If not us, who? If not here, where?

Qualifications

  • At least 21 years of age
  • (2) years of college or other related post high-school education
  • or four (4) years of experience in child care or the human services field.
  • Bachelor’s degree and one (1) or more years experience in the child care or human services field is preferred but not required.
  • Candidates with a bachelor's degree will be compensated at a higher rate.

Pay Incentives

Starting pay is $19.25 per hour

After completion of the annual review candidates can earn between 1-5% in salary increase based on performance each year.

Motivated candidates who are willing to complete our Certified Counselor and Senior Counselor training programs can earn raise incentives upon completion of each step up to $500 and salary increases of $1000 and $2000 per year.

Benefits

  • Medical (*)
  • Dental (*)
  • Life (*)
  • Quarterly Health Reimbursement (if you already have health insurance, Northwood will give you $485 per quarter to help pay for it)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Retirement with a 5% match after one year full time employment
  • 7 paid holidays and (1) flex holiday
  • Sick pay
  • Vacation pay
  • Student Loan Repayment Program (after 1 year of full time employment) up to $5000 per year contribution
  • Scholarship (after 1 year full time employment)
  • Cooperative (equipment rental, special events, employee gift fund)
  • $250 referral bonus for each candidate that is hired

Equal Employment Opportunity

Northwood does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, or membership or activity in a local commission.

Apply

External candidates please apply directly on the Northwood Children's Services website at northwoodchildren.org

Include shift schedule

Key Responsibilities

Counselors are responsible for the daily care and supervision of students within a residential or foster care setting. They provide a constructive model for students while teaching coping, communication, and social skills to support their emotional and intellectual development.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Coping SkillsStudent SupportCrisis InterventionEmotional Support

Mental Health — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 38% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 6.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Minnesota is 98.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$40k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $41k in an average-cost state. 63.4% of Minnesota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

30 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution30 jobs · 23 employers

11
<$80k
6
$80k-95k
5
$95k-110k
6
$110k-125k
2
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs · 23 employers

401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
44%
Sign-on bonus
22%
Loan repayment
11% this job
PSLF eligible
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Clinical Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Madison, Wisconsin

$92k-$125k
#3

Weekend Outpatient Mental Health Therapist

$63k-$123k
#4

Lead Licensed Mental Health Counselor LMHC Supervisor

$83k-$123k
+ 28 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 1.5
Below most Counseling listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,447 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Duluth

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$310k
Typical market rent
$1,428/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
88.8
State income tax
Up to 9.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Duluth, MN-WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Northwood Childrens Services logo

About Northwood Childrens Services

Mental Health Care
Duluth, MN
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical
Dental
Life
Quarterly Health Reimbursement ($485/quarter)
Flexible Spending Accounts
Retirement with 5% match
7 paid holidays + 1 flex holiday
Sick pay