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Best states for a mental health assistant
Quoted expert
Amanda Bakian
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and community and social services careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to mental health assistant jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for mental health assistants.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of mental health assistants in America is $48,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for mental health assistants.New Jersey is the best state, and Long Beach is the city with the highest pay for mental health assistants.
10 best states for mental health assistants in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total mental health assistant jobs: 1,816 Average annual salary: $45,316 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
2. New York
Total mental health assistant jobs: 2,897 Average annual salary: $45,934 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. Minnesota
Total mental health assistant jobs: 1,526 Average annual salary: $40,983 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. California
Total mental health assistant jobs: 6,032 Average annual salary: $45,572 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Maine
Total mental health assistant jobs: 371 Average annual salary: $36,029 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
6. Vermont
Total mental health assistant jobs: 173 Average annual salary: $37,426 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. Alaska
Total mental health assistant jobs: 221 Average annual salary: $36,616 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
8. New Hampshire
Total mental health assistant jobs: 283 Average annual salary: $40,847 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
9. Washington
Total mental health assistant jobs: 1,353 Average annual salary: $39,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
10. Michigan
Total mental health assistant jobs: 2,099 Average annual salary: $32,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
Mental health assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $45,316 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,816 |
| 2 | New York | $45,934 | $34,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,897 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $40,983 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,526 |
| 4 | California | $45,572 | $32,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,032 |
| 5 | Maine | $36,029 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 371 |
| 6 | Vermont | $37,426 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 173 |
| 7 | Alaska | $36,616 | $32,000 | 739,795 | 221 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $40,847 | $34,000 | 1,342,795 | 283 |
| 9 | Washington | $39,165 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,353 |
| 10 | Michigan | $32,851 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,099 |
| 11 | Nevada | $40,534 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 344 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $37,482 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 701 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $38,610 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 150 |
| 14 | Delaware | $36,429 | $26,000 | 961,939 | 219 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $34,608 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 361 |
| 16 | Illinois | $35,767 | $28,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,143 |
| 17 | Idaho | $32,441 | $26,000 | 1,716,943 | 356 |
| 18 | Colorado | $34,818 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,046 |
| 19 | Maryland | $33,819 | $24,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,378 |
| 20 | Montana | $31,734 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 230 |
| 21 | Indiana | $29,608 | $23,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,516 |
| 22 | Oregon | $33,622 | $27,000 | 4,142,776 | 741 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $31,903 | $24,000 | 4,454,189 | 654 |
| 24 | Utah | $33,326 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 492 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $38,894 | $28,000 | 693,972 | 213 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $28,700 | $21,000 | 12,805,537 | 4,845 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $31,276 | $25,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,051 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $32,428 | $26,000 | 1,059,639 | 202 |
| 29 | Arizona | $29,648 | $21,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,278 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $31,983 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 159 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $31,188 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 99 |
| 32 | Ohio | $28,007 | $21,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,395 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $29,834 | $21,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,856 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $28,209 | $23,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,346 |
| 35 | Iowa | $29,156 | $23,000 | 3,145,711 | 697 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $28,341 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 632 |
| 37 | Missouri | $29,395 | $22,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,125 |
| 38 | Virginia | $31,094 | $22,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,418 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $27,627 | $22,000 | 1,427,538 | 180 |
| 40 | Kansas | $28,945 | $22,000 | 2,913,123 | 447 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $24,631 | $17,000 | 4,684,333 | 639 |
| 42 | Texas | $27,628 | $19,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,136 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $24,158 | $19,000 | 1,920,076 | 403 |
| 44 | Alabama | $24,353 | $17,000 | 4,874,747 | 706 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $19,551 | $14,000 | 3,004,279 | 515 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $25,276 | $19,000 | 1,815,857 | 179 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $24,261 | $17,000 | 5,024,369 | 713 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $22,772 | $16,000 | 2,984,100 | 370 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $24,620 | $18,000 | 6,715,984 | 856 |
| 50 | Georgia | $22,495 | $16,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,554 |
| 51 | Florida | $19,601 | $13,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,535 |
Highest paying states for mental health assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $45,316 |
| 2 | New York | $45,934 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $40,983 |
| 4 | California | $45,572 |
| 5 | Maine | $36,029 |
| 6 | Vermont | $37,426 |
| 7 | Alaska | $36,616 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $40,847 |
| 9 | Washington | $39,165 |
| 10 | Michigan | $32,851 |
| 11 | Nevada | $40,534 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $37,482 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $38,610 |
| 14 | Delaware | $36,429 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $34,608 |
| 16 | Illinois | $35,767 |
| 17 | Idaho | $32,441 |
| 18 | Colorado | $34,818 |
| 19 | Maryland | $33,819 |
| 20 | Montana | $31,734 |
| 21 | Indiana | $29,608 |
| 22 | Oregon | $33,622 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $31,903 |
| 24 | Utah | $33,326 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $38,894 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $28,700 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $31,276 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $32,428 |
| 29 | Arizona | $29,648 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $31,983 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $31,188 |
| 32 | Ohio | $28,007 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $29,834 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $28,209 |
| 35 | Iowa | $29,156 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $28,341 |
| 37 | Missouri | $29,395 |
| 38 | Virginia | $31,094 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $27,627 |
| 40 | Kansas | $28,945 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $24,631 |
| 42 | Texas | $27,628 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $24,158 |
| 44 | Alabama | $24,353 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $19,551 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $25,276 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $24,261 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $22,772 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $24,620 |
| 50 | Georgia | $22,495 |
| 51 | Florida | $19,601 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health assistants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mental health assistants to find work opportunities?
Amanda Bakian
Research Associate Professor, University of Utah
My impression is that the job market for graduates with a degree in statistics is still likely to be strong in 2020 - demand for quantitative skills remain high, and work can be done remotely. In an academic setting, individuals with this skill set are in short supply.
Mental health assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025