Mental health professional demographics and statistics in the US
Mental health professional demographics research summary. Zippia estimates mental health professional demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our mental health professional estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about mental health professionals after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 37,111 mental health professionals currently employed in the United States.
- 73.8% of all mental health professionals are women, while 26.2% are men.
- The average mental health professional age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of mental health professionals is White (74.2%), followed by Black or African American (7.9%), Hispanic or Latino (7.9%) and Unknown (6.2%).
- Mental health professionals are most in-demand in Charleston, SC.
- The finance industry is the highest-paying for mental health professionals.
- Cupertino, CA pays an annual average wage of $89,683, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women mental health professionals earned 102% of what men earned.
- 15% of all mental health professionals are LGBT.
- Washington is the best state for mental health professionals to live.
- Mental health professionals are 74% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Mental health professional demographics by:
Mental health professional gender statistics
73.8% of mental health professionals are women and 26.2% of mental health professionals are men.
- Female, 73.8%
- Male, 26.2%
Mental health professional gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 73.8% |
| Male | 26.2% |
Mental health professional gender pay gap
Women earn $1.02 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$47,244
Female income
$48,361
Mental health professional related jobs gender ratio
We compared mental health professionals with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Mental Health Professional | 26% | 74% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Mental health professional demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among mental health professionals is White, which makes up 74.2% of all mental health professionals. Comparatively, 7.9% of mental health professionals are Black or African American and 7.9% of mental health professionals are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 74.2%
- Black or African American, 7.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Unknown, 6.2%
- Asian, 3.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Mental health professional race
| Mental health professional race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 74.2% |
| Black or African American | 7.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Unknown | 6.2% |
| Asian | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Mental health professional wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american mental health professionals have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White mental health professionals have the lowest average salary at $43,821.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $46,204 |
| White | $43,821 |
| Black or African American | $49,725 |
| Asian | $47,896 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $48,807 |
Average mental health professional age
See how the average age of mental health professionals varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Mental health professional age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | |
| White | 41.5 | 43 |
| Black or African American | 51 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.5 |
Mental health professional age breakdown
The average age of mental health professionals is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the mental health professional population.
Mental health professional age breakdown
| Mental Health Professional Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Mental health professional educational attainment
The most common degree for mental health professionals is bachelor's degree, with 58% of mental health professionals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 34% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 34%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Mental health professionals by degree level
| Mental health professional degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Master's | 34% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Doctorate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Mental health professional jobs you might like
Mental health professional wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,148 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,749 |
Mental health professional employment statistics
Most mental health professionals work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where mental health professionals work
Below, you can see the size of companies where mental health professionals work.
Mental health professional jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 23% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 37% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Mental health professional jobs by company type
Employees with the mental health professional job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most mental health professionals prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Mental health professional jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 74% |
| Government | 16% |
Mental health professional jobs by industry
The most common industries for mental health professionals are health care, non profits and professional.
Mental health professional industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 47% |
| Non Profits | 14% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Government | 9% |
| Education | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Mental health professional turnover and employment statistics
Average mental health professional tenure
The average mental health professional stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,236 mental health professionals resumes in Zippia's database.
Mental health professional tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Mental health professional LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of mental health professionals that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Grief Counselor | 8.96% | 27,537 |
| Deputy Probation Officer | 9.50% | 57,433 |
| Vocational Counselor | 10.75% | 77,189 |
| Race Relations Adviser | 11.25% | 22,090 |
| Community Developer | 11.48% | 81,171 |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
| Mental Health Professional | 15.06% | - |
Similar mental health professional jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Grief Counselor | 8.96% | 27,537 |
| Deputy Probation Officer | 9.50% | 57,433 |
| Vocational Counselor | 10.75% | 77,189 |
| Race Relations Adviser | 11.25% | 22,090 |
| Community Developer | 11.48% | 81,171 |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
Foreign languages spoken by mental health professionals
The most common foreign language among mental health professionals is Spanish at 75.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 2.9% and German is the third-most popular at 2.9%.
- Spanish, 75.0%
- Portuguese, 2.9%
- German, 2.9%
- Japanese, 2.9%
- French, 1.9%
- Other, 14.4%
Mental health professional languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 75.0% |
| Portuguese | 2.9% |
| German | 2.9% |
| Japanese | 2.9% |
| French | 1.9% |
| Other | 14.4% |
