Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a mental health professional
Quoted expert
Leslie Jensby
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Mental health professional opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for mental health professionals, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for mental health professionals.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for mental health professionals. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for mental health professionals, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for mental health professionals. Washington is the best state for mental health professionals, where the median salary is $59,727.If you are currently seeking employment as a mental health professional, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for mental health professionals in 2025
1. Washington
Total mental health professional jobs: 1,974 Average annual salary: $59,727 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. Minnesota
Total mental health professional jobs: 2,074 Average annual salary: $56,700 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
3. California
Total mental health professional jobs: 6,378 Average annual salary: $85,785 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. North Dakota
Total mental health professional jobs: 256 Average annual salary: $54,018 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
5. Nevada
Total mental health professional jobs: 401 Average annual salary: $65,919 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
6. Utah
Total mental health professional jobs: 634 Average annual salary: $61,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
7. Delaware
Total mental health professional jobs: 322 Average annual salary: $53,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
8. Hawaii
Total mental health professional jobs: 221 Average annual salary: $60,455 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
9. Michigan
Total mental health professional jobs: 2,092 Average annual salary: $48,846 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
10. New Hampshire
Total mental health professional jobs: 304 Average annual salary: $57,739 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Mental health professional jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health professional
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health professional
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,727 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,974 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $56,700 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,074 |
| 3 | California | $85,785 | $55,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,378 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $54,018 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 256 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,919 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 401 |
| 6 | Utah | $61,395 | $42,000 | 3,101,833 | 634 |
| 7 | Delaware | $53,939 | $35,000 | 961,939 | 322 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $60,455 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 221 |
| 9 | Michigan | $48,846 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,092 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $57,739 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 304 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $58,489 | $38,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,444 |
| 12 | Maine | $48,605 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 385 |
| 13 | Vermont | $50,067 | $33,000 | 623,657 | 209 |
| 14 | Arizona | $50,075 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,376 |
| 15 | Colorado | $53,466 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,300 |
| 16 | Alaska | $51,386 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 207 |
| 17 | Idaho | $48,836 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 396 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $49,319 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,971 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,709 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 530 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $52,058 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 304 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $45,586 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 150 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $57,628 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 274 |
| 23 | Oregon | $52,060 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 628 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $47,963 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 282 |
| 25 | New York | $53,418 | $35,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,635 |
| 26 | Indiana | $42,834 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,940 |
| 27 | Texas | $48,111 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,753 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $45,298 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 216 |
| 29 | Illinois | $50,118 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,570 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $45,423 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,034 |
| 31 | Montana | $46,215 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 194 |
| 32 | Ohio | $41,610 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,456 |
| 33 | Florida | $43,183 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,742 |
| 34 | Maryland | $46,238 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,489 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $42,920 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 726 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $42,277 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 690 |
| 37 | Georgia | $45,759 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,293 |
| 38 | Iowa | $41,310 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 858 |
| 39 | Missouri | $42,648 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,259 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $39,251 | $26,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,840 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $39,942 | $28,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,327 |
| 42 | Kansas | $42,816 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 543 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $37,881 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,381 |
| 44 | Alabama | $39,686 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 767 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $37,763 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 443 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $38,032 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 734 |
| 47 | Virginia | $40,372 | $27,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,695 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $30,507 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 570 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $34,750 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 435 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $38,060 | $26,000 | 5,024,369 | 595 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $37,220 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 219 |
Highest paying states for mental health professionals
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Professional Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,727 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $56,700 |
| 3 | California | $85,785 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $54,018 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,919 |
| 6 | Utah | $61,395 |
| 7 | Delaware | $53,939 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $60,455 |
| 9 | Michigan | $48,846 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $57,739 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $58,489 |
| 12 | Maine | $48,605 |
| 13 | Vermont | $50,067 |
| 14 | Arizona | $50,075 |
| 15 | Colorado | $53,466 |
| 16 | Alaska | $51,386 |
| 17 | Idaho | $48,836 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $49,319 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,709 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $52,058 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $45,586 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $57,628 |
| 23 | Oregon | $52,060 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $47,963 |
| 25 | New York | $53,418 |
| 26 | Indiana | $42,834 |
| 27 | Texas | $48,111 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $45,298 |
| 29 | Illinois | $50,118 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $45,423 |
| 31 | Montana | $46,215 |
| 32 | Ohio | $41,610 |
| 33 | Florida | $43,183 |
| 34 | Maryland | $46,238 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $42,920 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $42,277 |
| 37 | Georgia | $45,759 |
| 38 | Iowa | $41,310 |
| 39 | Missouri | $42,648 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $39,251 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $39,942 |
| 42 | Kansas | $42,816 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $37,881 |
| 44 | Alabama | $39,686 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $37,763 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $38,032 |
| 47 | Virginia | $40,372 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $30,507 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $34,750 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $38,060 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $37,220 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health professionals
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mental health professionals to find work opportunities?
Leslie Jensby
BSW Program Director, Assistant Professor, Park University
Every country sector has been affected by COVID, but particularly areas with high populations of underserved, marginalized, and oppressed people. COVID has bared the fact that the pandemic disproportionally impacts Black and brown communities. These communities will need increased ongoing support from social workers trained to engage, assess, and intervene with individuals, families, and communities.
Mental health professional best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
Search for mental health professional jobs
Updated January 8, 2025