A Quitline Counselor typically delivers tobacco cessation support over the phone or chat — assessment, motivational interviewing, plan-building, and follow-up coaching — across short-arc engagements.
Quitline Counselor pay typically runs $47K–$78K at this level. The next title up is often Senior Quitline Counselor.
Daily rhythm centers on structured phone or chat sessions, callbacks, and brief documentation. You'll often handle multiple short conversations a day rather than longer therapeutic sessions. Quotas, call metrics, and program protocols typically shape pacing more than open-ended clinical work would.
The brief-intervention discipline can surprise clinicians used to longer therapy arcs — a quitline call has a clear structure and limited time. Coordination with medication-assistance programs and referral resources is common. The repetitiveness of the work — similar conversations across many callers — is real and worth knowing about.
People who thrive here usually have steady warmth, comfort with brief intervention, and patience for incremental change. Strong motivational interviewing skills and a tolerance for repetitive patterns typically matter more than therapeutic depth.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Social Services roles →A Quitline Counselor typically delivers tobacco cessation support over the phone or chat — assessment, motivational interviewing, plan-building, and follow-up coaching — across short-arc engagements.
Median pay for a Quitline Counselor is about $60K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $39K to $101K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, and Writing.
Most people in this role hold a master's degree.
Closely related roles include Senior Quitline Counselor, Case Manager, and Substance Abuse Therapist.
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