Is there any security or benefits to being a college admissions counselor or a college counselor?
College admissions counselors are usually full-time employees of the school for which they work, so they get a full-time salary plus whatever benefits the institution allows. The job security is usually pretty good. At some schools the admissions counselors are mostly recent alumni of that school or others very much like it who move on after a few years of working there into other fields. At other schools, the admissions counselors stay around forever. It really just depends.
As for the latter - it depends on what you mean by college counselor.
-Most public high schools have guidance counselors, but how much that guidance counselor actually spends on college counseling depends on the school. Public high schools in higher-income areas may have more counselors per student, and the students may be almost all college-bound, so more time may actually be spent advising students on college choices and writing recommendations. Public high schools with lower-income student bodies may have fewer kids headed off to college and thus GCs there may spend more time dealing with other admin work like disciplinary issues, dual enrollment for technical and community colleges, registration, etc.
-Many private schools - particularly elite ones - hire college counselors that are there for the sole purpose of helping students get into college. The most expensive private schools hire counselors who have experience as admissions counselors at target schools. Other schools may be willing to hire alumni of high-profile target schools and/or people with a little experience in the field in other capacities. Many public charter schools that have college access as a goal hire college counselors as well. This can be an interesting challenge (low-income, perhaps less well-prepared students who are still very smart and ready for the challenge of college) and they are often more willing to hire less experienced counselors.
-Some college counselors operate independently by charging an hourly or package fee to students for personal college counseling. These are the application consultants; they may help students write essays, put together a college list, complete applications, arrange tours, communicate with offices and evaluate financial aid offers. Some of these counselors can charge a lot per hour if they handle mostly elite students trying to go to elite schools.
The former two are going to have more security and benefits because those kinds of counselors are usually full-time employees of a school. Independent counselors are self-employed with their own business, so any benefits they have they are paying for themselves.
If you are interested in this, volunteer in the admissions office as an undergrad. Most admissions offices take on volunteer tour guides for the student days, and some offices also enlist students’ help in the actual admissions process in some capacity.