Primary Counselor

Addiction CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$24-$26/hr

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-$26 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

  • Certified Substance abuse counselor
  • 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 be a certified substance abuse counselor with at least two years of relevant experience or 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 collaboration

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Addiction Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 32% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

In California, the Addiction Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$62k (232 salary observations; 363 listings), vs ~$62k nationally (1,374 salary observations; 4,031 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

How many Addiction Medicine jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$50k–$54kAddiction Medicine median $74k (middle half $63k–$79k)45 comparable listings, Oct 2026
California vs national$62k median in California$62k nationally (+1%)232 state / 1,374 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$47k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Addiction Medicine listings in California128 active1,239 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 40% remote · 32% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Addiction Medicine pay trend+2.3% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

33 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

33 jobs · 25 employers
10
<$90k
8
$90k-110k
11
$110k-130k
4
$130k-150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
43%
CME allowance
35% this job
Loan repayment
17%
PSLF eligible
17%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · San Diego, California

$117k-$134k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Ventura, California

$117k-$134k
#3

Psychotherapist, Behavioral Health

$94k-$132k
#4

MCRT Licensed Team Lead LCSW LMFT LPCC - Mental Health 639

$107k-$132k
+ 31 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Addiction Medicine (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,237 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Meadowbrook Behavioral Health Center logo

About Meadowbrook Behavioral Health Center

Mental Health Care
Los Angeles, California

Benefits & Perks

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
UKG Wallet (earned wage access)
Professional Development
Continuing Education & Training

Living in Los Angeles

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$922k
Typical market rent
$2,772/mo
Residents’ average commute
31 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 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.