Mississippi State University logo
Mississippi State University
Starkville, Mississippi

Staff Counselor

CounselorIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 4mo ago

Job Description

Position Function

The Staff Counselor reports to the Director of MSU Student Counseling Services and serves in the Division of Student Affairs. The Staff Counselor is responsible for providing mental health services including individual, couple, and group counseling and for providing psycho-educational programming and workshops to the campus community. Additionally, the Staff Counselor is responsible for providing crisis intervention and consultation services for students.

Salary Grade: 14

Please see Staff Compensation Structure

or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule

for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. To provide individual, group, and couples counseling to MSU students

2. To provide a minimum of 20 direct clinical hours to students weekly

3. To provide a rotating Counselor-on Duty response for urgent care between 8am and 5pm.

4. To provide crisis intervention to students with appropriate referrals to campus and community resources as needed

  • 5. To share rotating evening and weekend emergency on-call response with other clinicians
  • 6. Maintain clinical case files in accordance with the highest legal, ethical, and professional standards
  • 7. To serve as liaison with other departments
  • 8. To demonstrate multicultural competency
  • 9. To assist in scheduling maintenance

10. To provide outreach programming to the campus community.

11. Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position reports to the Director of Student Counseling Center in relation to mental health counseling services provided to clients.

The above essential duties are representative of major duties of positions in this position. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job. Not all of the duties may be assigned to a position.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Master's Degree in Mental health counseling, social work or other licensed eligible mental health related field

Experience: At least 1-2 years of experience

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in clinical mental health, social work, or a related field or PhD. In clinical or counseling psychology, clinical mental health or a related field from an accredited institution of higher education with 1 or more years of experience within a college counseling center. Licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Psychologist or eligible to be licensed within 2 years in the state of Mississippi.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Experience, knowledge and training in provision of individual, group and couple counseling.

2. Experience in provision of psycho-educational/outreach programming and workshops.

3. Experience with working with trauma related diagnoses.

4. Experience in provision of clinical services within a university counseling center preferred.

5. Ability to interact effectively and professionally with students.

6. Knowledge of and adherence to ethical standards endorsed by licensing professional organization.

7. Possess strong student orientation.

8. Motivated to function effectively with the organizational and administrative structure of a university counseling center.

9. Value involvement and participation within the Division of Student Affairs.

10. The ability to work with a diverse student population.

11. Ability to create and maintain, collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

No unusual physical requirements. Requires no heavy lifting, and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.

Frequent - Externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; travel or irregular hours often anticipated; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress on a regular basis Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands Job requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 10 pounds Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.

Instructions for Applying

Applicants Must Apply Online At

explore.msujobs.msstate.edu. Please include a cover letter and resume along with the names, addressed, and telephone number of three references.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution.

Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law.

Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State,

MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu [employment@hrm.msstate.edu].

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu [employment@hrm.msstate.edu]. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.

Key Responsibilities

The Staff Counselor provides individual, group, and couples mental health services to students, including crisis intervention and urgent care. They are also responsible for developing psycho-educational workshops and outreach programming for the campus community.

Requirements

A Master's degree in mental health counseling, social work, or a related field is required, along with 1-2 years of experience. Preference is given to candidates with a PhD or licensure as a Professional Counselor or Psychologist in Mississippi.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Individual CounselingClinical Case ManagementTrauma-Informed CareProfessional Ethics

Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Mississippi is 87.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.9% of Mississippi clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 74% are remote, 22% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

What does the Counselor market look like in Mississippi?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedCounselor median $73k (middle half $63k–$85k)294 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingMississippi index 87.0US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Counselor listings in Mississippi85 active13,729 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 74% remote · 22% no call · 54% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Counselor pay trend+2.5% 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

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

33 jobs · 31 employers
10
<$90k
5
$90k-110k
7
$110k-130k
8
$130k-150k
3
$150k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs
401k / retirement match
79% this job
CME allowance
41%
Sign-on bonus
31%
Loan repayment
14%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Mental Health Therapist, Contractor - WI / (Remote)Contract

Cartwheel · Remote - Nationwide

$65-$75/hr
#2

Mental Health Therapist, Contractor - IN / (Remote)Contract

Cartwheel · Remote - Nationwide

$65-$75/hr
#3

Dental Therapist

From $155k
#4

Florida-Licensed Couples & Individual Therapist (Remote, Contract)

$70 - $80/session
+ 39 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 10% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 504 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
Mississippi State University logo

About Mississippi State University

Research Services
Starkville, MS
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

University benefits package

Living in Starkville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$298k
Typical market rent
$1,433/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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