Counsellors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time counsellors in the UK earned a median £31,124 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 20% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (125th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £30,091 a year, men £33,608 a year.
About 57% of the roughly 23,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 7.8%, from £28,870, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 58,600 people in this line of work, 24% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | – | – | – | £246.70* | £13.80 |
| 20th percentile | £28,022 | £552.20 | £14.95 | £16,154* | £328.70* | £14.87 |
| 25th percentile | £28,703 | £573.40 | £15.47 | £18,448* | £368.90 | £15.35 |
| 30th percentile | £29,281 | £575.60 | £16.09 | £21,026* | £419.70 | £15.87 |
| 40th percentile | £29,745 | £607.60 | £16.65 | £24,211* | £466.70 | £16.65 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,124 | £631.00 | £17.98 | £27,082 | £544.30 | £17.87 |
| 60th percentile | £32,094* | £694.80 | £19.05 | £29,422 | £586.50 | £19.00 |
| 70th percentile | £36,016* | £729.40* | £20.19* | £30,861* | £624.90 | £20.19 |
| 75th percentile | – | £758.90* | £20.49* | £31,356* | £662.90* | £21.13 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £706.70* | £22.57* |
| Mean | £34,348 | £683.10 | £18.79 | £26,450 | £537.80 | £18.73 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £28,870 | £544.40 | £14.21 | £22,859 | £430.70* | 24* |
| 2022 revised | £27,284* | £511.90 | £15.00 | £21,206* | £426.20 | 20* |
| 2023 revised | £29,706* | £555.00 | £15.64 | £22,162* | £423.00* | 23* |
| 2024 revised | £29,650 | £586.80 | £15.93 | £24,034 | £480.40 | 25 |
| 2025 provisional | £31,124 | £631.00 | £17.98 | £27,082 | £544.30 | 23 |
Counsellors by region
UK: 58,600 (± 9,400), April 2025 to March 2026. 11 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 14,000* | ± 4,700 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What counsellors do
Counsellors provide counselling services to clients with a wide variety of problems by means of assisting them to reach their own resolutions to the difficulties they face. Counsellors may specialise in a particular area or client group or address a wide range of issues. (ONS SOC 2020, 3224)
Also covers: counsellor (welfare services), debt adviser, drugs and alcohol worker, life coach, stop smoking counsellor, bereavement counsellor, debt counsellor, drug worker, interventions facilitator, nlp practitioner, recovery coordinator, relate counsellor, relationship counsellor, school counsellor, student counsellor, therapeutic counsellor, mental health counsellor and primary care counsellor (24 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Meets clients face-to-face, working either one-to-one or with couples or families, or by telephone or internet
- Encourages clients to discuss their feelings in relation to their problems, aiming to ensure that an understanding of the issues is achieved
- Presents different perspectives to the problem areas identified
- Refers to other appropriate sources of help
- Keeps accurate and confidential records
There are no formal qualifications requirements for entry but relevant experience is necessary. Many employers will expect entrants to have achieved or be working towards accreditation with a professional body via certification or a diploma in counselling. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required for counsellors working with vulnerable adults and/or families.
Related
Welfare and housing associate professionals (median £31,613) · Housing officers · Child and early years officers · salary percentile · UK real pay growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026