Mental health specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Mental health specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates mental health specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our mental health specialist 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 specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 51,504 mental health specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 67.1% of all mental health specialists are women, while 32.9% are men.
- The average mental health specialist age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of mental health specialists is White (74.2%), followed by Black or African American (7.9%), Hispanic or Latino (7.9%) and Unknown (6.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 103% of what men earned.
- 15% of all mental health specialists are LGBT.
- Mental health specialists are 68% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Mental health specialist demographics by:
Mental health specialist gender statistics
67.1% of mental health specialists are women and 32.9% of mental health specialists are men.
- Female, 67.1%
- Male, 32.9%
Mental health specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 67.1% |
| Male | 32.9% |
Mental health specialist gender pay gap
Women earn $1.03 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$45,285
Female income
$46,497
Mental health specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared mental health specialists 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 Specialist | 33% | 67% |
| 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 specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among mental health specialists is White, which makes up 74.2% of all mental health specialists. Comparatively, 7.9% of mental health specialists are Black or African American and 7.9% of mental health specialists 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 specialist race
| Mental health specialist 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 specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american mental health specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White mental health specialists have the lowest average salary at $41,597.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,162 |
| White | $41,597 |
| Black or African American | $47,981 |
| Asian | $45,992 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $46,981 |
Average mental health specialist age
See how the average age of mental health specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Mental health specialist 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 specialist age breakdown
The average age of mental health specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the mental health specialist population.
Mental health specialist age breakdown
| Mental Health Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Mental health specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for mental health specialists is bachelor's degree, with 62% of mental health specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Mental health specialists by degree level
| Mental health specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 62% |
| Master's | 21% |
| Associate | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Mental health specialist jobs you might like
Mental health specialist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,828 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,520 |
Mental health specialist employment statistics
Most mental health specialists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where mental health specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where mental health specialists work.
Mental health specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 36% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 6% |
Mental health specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the mental health specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most mental health specialists prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Mental health specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 68% |
| Government | 19% |
Mental health specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for mental health specialists are health care, non profits and government.
Mental health specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 51% |
| Non Profits | 12% |
| Government | 11% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 5% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
Mental health specialist turnover and employment statistics
Average mental health specialist tenure
The average mental health specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,845 mental health specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Mental health specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Mental health specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of mental health specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault Counselor | 8.96% | 75,374 |
| Probation Officer | 9.50% | 55,952 |
| Career Coach | 10.75% | 42,622 |
| Ecclesiastical Worker | 11.25% | 20,239 |
| Settlement Worker | 11.48% | 21,262 |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
| Mental Health Specialist | 15.06% | - |
Similar mental health specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault Counselor | 8.96% | 75,374 |
| Probation Officer | 9.50% | 55,952 |
| Career Coach | 10.75% | 42,622 |
| Ecclesiastical Worker | 11.25% | 20,239 |
| Settlement Worker | 11.48% | 21,262 |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
Foreign languages spoken by mental health specialists
The most common foreign language among mental health specialists is Spanish at 68.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.6% and Russian is the third-most popular at 2.8%.
- Spanish, 68.7%
- French, 9.6%
- Russian, 2.8%
- Portuguese, 2.4%
- German, 2.0%
- Other, 14.5%
Mental health specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.7% |
| French | 9.6% |
| Russian | 2.8% |
| Portuguese | 2.4% |
| German | 2.0% |
| Other | 14.5% |
