Counsellors roles in the UK earn a median of £31,000 per year, equivalent to £17.91 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 6.2% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £27,500 in South West to £34,500 in North West. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £31,124/yr (0% below our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£31,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£17.91
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+6.2%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£27,500 – £36,500
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~36,000
estimated employees
55 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~29,000 → 2024: ~36,000
Market Signal
Growing marketPay and employment are both rising — competition for workers is increasing.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Median annual pay for Counsellors across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| North West | £34,500 |
| Scotland | £33,500 |
| South East | £32,000 |
| London | £31,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £30,000 |
| Wales | £30,000 |
| East Midlands | £29,500 |
| West Midlands | £29,500 |
| North East | £28,500 |
| South West | £27,500 |
| UK | £31,000 |
Annual pay grew by +6.2% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Counsellors.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Counsellors roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
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.
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.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.