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Mental health professional salary
Average mental health professional salary
$49,119
Understanding Mental Health Professional Salaries
The average salary for mental health professionals in the United States is about $49,119 per year, or $24 per hour. This figure varies significantly depending on experience level. For instance, entry-level professionals can expect lower salaries, while those with years of experience or specialized training often earn considerably more.
Salary by Experience Level
Recent graduates typically start on the lower end of the pay scale, but as they gain experience, their earning potential increases. Psychologists and psychiatrists, for example, often command higher salaries compared to social workers or counselors. Additionally, professionals working in metropolitan areas tend to earn more due to the higher cost of living.
Top Paying States
Salaries also differ by state. For instance, mental health professionals in California and New York frequently earn higher wages than those in other states. Researching specific states can reveal lucrative opportunities that align with your career goals.
Career Opportunities
With the continual growth in the demand for mental health services, professionals in this field can find rewarding careers in hospitals, private practices, and community health organizations. Exploring various job roles and specializations can help you identify the best fit for your skills and aspirations.
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Where can a Mental Health Professional earn more?
Mental health professional salaries by experience level
Mental health professional salary estimates from across the web
Average mental health professional salary by state
The highest-paying states for mental health professionals are California, Nevada, and Utah. The lowest average mental health professional salary states are Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mental health professionals
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,727 | $28.71 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $56,700 | $27.26 |
| 3 | California | $85,785 | $41.24 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $54,018 | $25.97 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,919 | $31.69 |
| 6 | Utah | $61,395 | $29.52 |
| 7 | Delaware | $53,939 | $25.93 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $60,455 | $29.06 |
| 9 | Michigan | $48,846 | $23.48 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $57,739 | $27.76 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $58,489 | $28.12 |
| 12 | Maine | $48,605 | $23.37 |
| 13 | Vermont | $50,067 | $24.07 |
| 14 | Arizona | $50,075 | $24.07 |
| 15 | Colorado | $53,466 | $25.70 |
| 16 | Alaska | $51,386 | $24.70 |
| 17 | Idaho | $48,836 | $23.48 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $49,319 | $23.71 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,709 | $26.78 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $52,058 | $25.03 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $45,586 | $21.92 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $57,628 | $27.71 |
| 23 | Oregon | $52,060 | $25.03 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $47,963 | $23.06 |
| 25 | New York | $53,418 | $25.68 |
| 26 | Indiana | $42,834 | $20.59 |
| 27 | Texas | $48,111 | $23.13 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $45,298 | $21.78 |
| 29 | Illinois | $50,118 | $24.10 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $45,423 | $21.84 |
| 31 | Montana | $46,215 | $22.22 |
| 32 | Ohio | $41,610 | $20.00 |
| 33 | Florida | $43,183 | $20.76 |
| 34 | Maryland | $46,238 | $22.23 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $42,920 | $20.63 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $42,277 | $20.33 |
| 37 | Georgia | $45,759 | $22.00 |
| 38 | Iowa | $41,310 | $19.86 |
| 39 | Missouri | $42,648 | $20.50 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $39,251 | $18.87 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $39,942 | $19.20 |
| 42 | Kansas | $42,816 | $20.58 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $37,881 | $18.21 |
| 44 | Alabama | $39,686 | $19.08 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $37,763 | $18.16 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $38,032 | $18.28 |
| 47 | Virginia | $40,372 | $19.41 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $30,507 | $14.67 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $34,750 | $16.71 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $38,060 | $18.30 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $37,220 | $17.89 |
Highest paying cities for mental health professionals
The highest-paying cities for mental health professionals are Cupertino, CA, Clearfield, UT, and Vancouver, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino, CA | $89,683 | $43.12 |
| 2 | Clearfield, UT | $61,191 | $29.42 |
| 3 | Vancouver, WA | $60,736 | $29.20 |
| 4 | Saint Paul, MN | $56,720 | $27.27 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $53,527 | $25.73 |
| 6 | Farmington, NM | $52,331 | $25.16 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $51,928 | $24.97 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $50,165 | $24.12 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $48,285 | $23.21 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $46,427 | $22.32 |
| 11 | Lafayette, LA | $43,213 | $20.78 |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO | $42,793 | $20.57 |
| 13 | Kansas City, KS | $42,788 | $20.57 |
| 14 | Alexandria, VA | $41,325 | $19.87 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $39,590 | $19.03 |
| 16 | Montgomery, AL | $39,530 | $19.00 |
| 17 | Spartanburg, SC | $38,214 | $18.37 |
| 18 | Richmond, KY | $37,948 | $18.24 |
| 19 | Lincoln, NE | $34,776 | $16.72 |
Mental health professional salary details
A mental health professional's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mental health professional's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,119 | $4,093 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying mental health professional jobs
The highest paying types of mental health professionals are licensed professional counselor, clinician, and licensed social worker.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Therapist | $50,774 | $4,231 | $24.41 | 106,982 |
| Clinician | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 105,023 |
| Alcohol And Drug Counselor | $45,758 | $3,813 | $22.00 | 77,461 |
| Program Counselor | $43,820 | $3,652 | $21.07 | 133,491 |
| Intensive In-Home Counselor | $51,428 | $4,286 | $24.73 | 122,300 |
| Crisis Counselor | $51,142 | $4,262 | $24.59 | 76,255 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mental health professionals, 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 professionals now:
Which companies pay mental health professionals the most?
Mental health professional salaries at Wellpath and CVS Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mental health professional salary at companies like Favorite Healthcare Staffing and ATC Healthcare are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellpath | $88,842 | $42.71 |
| 2 | CVS Health | $87,487 | $42.06 |
| 3 | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | $72,648 | $34.93 |
| 4 | ATC Healthcare | $66,819 | $32.12 |
| 5 | Nebraska Methodist Health System | $65,038 | $31.27 |
| 6 | Loudoun County Social Svc | $64,788 | $31.15 |
| 7 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $64,673 | $31.09 |
| 8 | PHMC | $61,482 | $29.56 |
| 9 | Acadia Healthcare | $61,428 | $29.53 |
| 10 | Mount Aloysius College | $61,426 | $29.53 |
| 11 | GPAC | $59,654 | $28.68 |
| 12 | Travis County | $59,212 | $28.47 |
| 13 | Chicago Public Schools | $58,994 | $28.36 |
| 14 | Multicare Companies Inc. | $58,794 | $28.27 |
| 15 | Wilder Foundation | $58,426 | $28.09 |
| 16 | DESC | $58,250 | $28.00 |
| 17 | Skagit County | $58,080 | $27.92 |
| 18 | El Paso County | $57,947 | $27.86 |
| 19 | Hemet Unified School District | $57,787 | $27.78 |
| 20 | Wexford Health Sources | $57,321 | $27.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mental health professional salary trends
The average mental health professional salary has risen by $9,568 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mental health professional earned $39,551 annually, but today, they earn $49,119 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for mental health professionals over the last decade.
Compare mental health professional salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mental health professional salary over time
Compare mental health professional salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mental health professional salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,100 | $23.62 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $47,000 | $22.61 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $45,200 | $21.73 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $43,600 | $20.96 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $43,000 | $20.70 | +1.2% |
Recently added mental health professional salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Florida | Mental Health Care Professional (Temp) | Orlando, FL | 06/30/2025 | $56,349 |
| State of South Dakota | Mental Health Professional | Sioux Falls, SD | 06/30/2025 | $64,200 |
| Get It-Healthcare | Telehealth Licensed Mental Health Professional (Lmhp)-Remote | WFH | Shreveport, LA | 06/29/2025 | $83,480 |
| Transitional Services of Iowa | Mental Health Professional (MHP) Afternoon/PM Shift | Bourbonnais, IL | 06/29/2025 | $45,392 |
| Lifeline Connections | Mental Health Professional New Bonus! | Vancouver, WA | 06/29/2025 | $54,909 |
| Clarvida | Mental Health Professional/Bcba | Tacoma, WA | 06/29/2025 | $64,697 |
| Wellpath | Licensed Mental Health Professional | Coeur dAlene, ID | 06/28/2025 | $98,277 |
| Advanced Correctional Healthcare | Licensed Mental Health Professional | Columbia, SC | 06/28/2025 | $83,480 |
| Centurion Health | Mental Health Professional | Doral, FL | 06/28/2025 | $70,000 |
| ATC Healthcare | Mental Health Professional | Salem, OR | 06/27/2025 | $135,655 |
Mental health professional salary FAQs
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