Can you be more specific as to what you mean by residential counselor. Are you thinking of working at a rehab for example, or inpatient psych unit? I ask because usually this title goes to Bachelor's-level staff who work directly with clients on the floor in a non-clinical capacity, with an hourly salary around $12-16/hour. In a clinical position at the master's-level it is going to vary considerably by where you are looking for work. I'd say you can expect your starting wage right out of college to be around the mid-40s and up, which should increase considerably once you're licensed and gain more expertise.
