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Mental health associate salary
Average mental health associate salary
$36,510
Mental Health Associate Salary Overview
The average salary for a Mental Health Associate is approximately $36,510 annually, translating to about $18 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location and years of experience. For instance, entry-level positions may offer lower salaries, while those with several years in the field can earn considerably more.
Salary by Experience Level
Newcomers to the profession often start at lower pay scales, while experienced associates can command higher salaries due to their specialized skills and knowledge. The potential for salary increases is significant as professionals gain experience and additional certifications.
Highest Paying States
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary expectations. States such as California and New York frequently offer higher compensation for mental health associates, reflecting the increased cost of living and demand for mental health services. Job seekers should consider these factors when evaluating their career paths.
Career Opportunities
As the demand for mental health professionals continues to grow, numerous opportunities exist in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community health organizations. Pursuing a career as a mental health associate can lead to fulfilling roles that make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
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Where can a Mental Health Associate earn more?
Mental health associate salaries by experience level
Mental health associate salary estimates from across the web
Average mental health associate salary by state
The highest-paying states for mental health associates are New York, California, and Nevada. The lowest average mental health associate salary states are Mississippi, Nebraska, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mental health associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $38,760 | $18.63 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $42,776 | $20.57 |
| 3 | California | $45,318 | $21.79 |
| 4 | Washington | $40,075 | $19.27 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $38,388 | $18.46 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $42,568 | $20.47 |
| 7 | New York | $50,434 | $24.25 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $40,071 | $19.26 |
| 9 | Nevada | $43,982 | $21.15 |
| 10 | Michigan | $35,348 | $16.99 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $41,764 | $20.08 |
| 12 | Delaware | $39,074 | $18.79 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $35,430 | $17.03 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $39,458 | $18.97 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $42,107 | $20.24 |
| 16 | Vermont | $38,829 | $18.67 |
| 17 | Utah | $35,622 | $17.13 |
| 18 | Virginia | $37,471 | $18.01 |
| 19 | Idaho | $33,613 | $16.16 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $33,304 | $16.01 |
| 21 | Indiana | $31,749 | $15.26 |
| 22 | Illinois | $37,319 | $17.94 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $33,996 | $16.34 |
| 24 | Alaska | $32,655 | $15.70 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $32,780 | $15.76 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $33,567 | $16.14 |
| 27 | Oregon | $36,328 | $17.47 |
| 28 | Colorado | $34,054 | $16.37 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $34,166 | $16.43 |
| 30 | Maryland | $31,164 | $14.98 |
| 31 | Iowa | $30,789 | $14.80 |
| 32 | Ohio | $30,600 | $14.71 |
| 33 | Arizona | $28,843 | $13.87 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $31,045 | $14.93 |
| 35 | Montana | $33,075 | $15.90 |
| 36 | Kansas | $31,181 | $14.99 |
| 37 | Georgia | $32,334 | $15.55 |
| 38 | Alabama | $28,438 | $13.67 |
| 39 | Texas | $28,776 | $13.83 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $27,909 | $13.42 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $27,078 | $13.02 |
| 42 | Missouri | $31,162 | $14.98 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $25,462 | $12.24 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $25,708 | $12.36 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $23,759 | $11.42 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $25,553 | $12.29 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $21,684 | $10.43 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $26,638 | $12.81 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $27,339 | $13.14 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $27,301 | $13.13 |
| 51 | Florida | $21,639 | $10.40 |
Highest paying cities for mental health associates
The highest-paying cities for mental health associates are New York, NY, San Jose, CA, and Toms River, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $50,600 | $24.33 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $46,550 | $22.38 |
| 3 | Toms River, NJ | $42,071 | $20.23 |
| 4 | Bellingham, WA | $39,993 | $19.23 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $38,430 | $18.48 |
| 6 | Peoria, IL | $37,128 | $17.85 |
| 7 | Eugene, OR | $36,573 | $17.58 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $35,402 | $17.02 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $35,402 | $17.02 |
| 10 | Anchorage, AK | $32,656 | $15.70 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $32,488 | $15.62 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $31,217 | $15.01 |
| 13 | Council Bluffs, IA | $30,597 | $14.71 |
| 14 | El Paso, TX | $29,953 | $14.40 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | $27,070 | $13.01 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $26,816 | $12.89 |
| 17 | Tallahassee, FL | $22,454 | $10.80 |
| 18 | Conway, AR | $21,647 | $10.41 |
Mental health associate salary details
A mental health associate's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mental health associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $36,510 | $3,043 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying mental health associate jobs
The highest paying types of mental health associates are mental health nurse, mental health clinician, and intensive in-home counselor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavior Therapist | $36,864 | $3,072 | $17.72 | 90,578 |
| Intensive In-Home Counselor | $51,428 | $4,286 | $24.73 | 122,300 |
| Residence Counselor | $34,931 | $2,911 | $16.79 | 78,872 |
| Counselor Internship | $45,500 | $3,792 | $21.88 | 132,694 |
| Behavioral Therapist | $37,881 | $3,157 | $18.21 | 91,976 |
| Residential Counselor | $34,117 | $2,843 | $16.40 | 81,287 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mental health associates, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Logan Lamprecht Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Counseling Clinic Director, Idaho State University
Top companies hiring mental health associates now:
Which companies pay mental health associates the most?
Mental health associate salaries at Columbia University in the City of New York and Emory University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mental health associate salary at companies like Roivant Sciences and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $51,451 | $24.74 |
| 2 | Emory University | $49,212 | $23.66 |
| 3 | Roivant Sciences | $47,720 | $22.94 |
| 4 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | $47,281 | $22.73 |
| 5 | UMass Memorial Health | $45,700 | $21.97 |
| 6 | California Department of Technology | $44,115 | $21.21 |
| 7 | International Rescue Committee | $42,940 | $20.64 |
| 8 | Oregon Health & Science University | $41,661 | $20.03 |
| 9 | State of Connecticut | $41,266 | $19.84 |
| 10 | Dr. Reddy's Lab | $40,777 | $19.60 |
| 11 | Mount Sinai Health System | $40,706 | $19.57 |
| 12 | Telecare | $40,504 | $19.47 |
| 13 | White County | $40,409 | $19.43 |
| 14 | PeaceHealth | $40,040 | $19.25 |
| 15 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | $39,712 | $19.09 |
| 16 | LifeWorks | $39,660 | $19.07 |
| 17 | Abt Associates | $39,562 | $19.02 |
| 18 | Silver Lake | $39,525 | $19.00 |
| 19 | Lane County Engineer | $39,264 | $18.88 |
| 20 | State Of South Dakota | $38,836 | $18.67 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mental health associate salary trends
The average mental health associate salary has risen by $7,112 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mental health associate earned $29,398 annually, but today, they earn $36,510 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for mental health associates over the last decade.
Compare mental health associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mental health associate salary over time
Compare mental health associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mental health associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,500 | $17.55 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $35,000 | $16.81 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $33,600 | $16.15 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $32,400 | $15.58 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $32,000 | $15.38 | +1.2% |
Recently added mental health associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | Mental/Behavioral Health Team Leader-CST, Associate or Fully Licensed | Lumberton, NC | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program | Associate Therapist-Mental Health, Residential | Shawnee, KS | 06/28/2025 | $55,000 |
| Acadia Healthcare Inc. | Behavioral Health Associate-Weekends Only AM PM) | Noma, FL | 06/27/2025 | $30,262 |
| Avis Budget Group | Car Rental Associate-| Great Pay | Health Benefits | Employee Perks | Kahului, HI | 06/27/2025 | $40,697 |
| Acadia External | Behavioral Health Associate (BHA) | Driver New Braunfels | Center, TX | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| Acadia External | Behavioral Health Associate-Weekends Only AM PM) | Noma, FL | 06/27/2025 | $30,262 |
| Embark Behavioral Health | Behavioral Health Associate | Marion, MT | 06/27/2025 | $43,827 |
| Acadia Healthcare | Behavioral Health Associate | Chicago, IL | 06/25/2025 | $41,886 |
| Telecare Corp | Qmha Mental Health Associate-Mental Health 211 | Portland, OR | 06/25/2025 | $39,006 |
| VNS Health | Behavioral Health Associate | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
Mental health associate salary FAQs
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