Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for mental health specialists in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • 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 age of an employed mental health specialist 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 2021, 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.

Mental Health Specialist Statistics By Gender

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 Specialists By Gender

GenderPercentages
Female67.1%
Male32.9%

Gender Pay Gap For Mental Health Specialist

Women Earn $1.03 For Every $1 Earned By Men

male-income
Male Income
$45,285
female-income
Female Income
$46,497

Mental Health Specialist Male to Female Ratio

We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest difference in gender.

Job TitleMaleFemale
Breastfeeding Educator2%98%
Certified Lactation Counselor3%97%
Lactation Specialist5%95%
Mental Health Specialist33%67%
Donation Worker70%30%
Rehabilitation Engineer70%30%
Public Health Worker81%19%

Mental Health Specialist Statistics By Race

The most common ethnicity among mental health specialists is White, which makes up 74.2% of all mental health specialists. Comparatively, there are 7.9% of the Black or African American ethnicity and 7.9% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

  • 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 RacePercentages
White74.2%
Black or African American7.9%
Hispanic or Latino7.9%
Unknown6.2%
Asian3.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%

Mental Health Specialist Wage Gap By Race

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.
$50,000
$48,000
$46,000
$44,000
$42,000
$40,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$44,162
White$41,597
Black or African American$47,981
Asian$45,992
Hispanic or Latino$46,981

Mental Health Specialist JOBS

Average Age of a Mental Health Specialist

We determined the average age of mental health specialists based on ethnicity and gender.

Male
Female

Mental Health Specialist Age By Race

RaceMale AgeFemale Age
Unknown40
White41.543
Black or African American51
Hispanic or Latino40.5

Mental Health Specialist Age Breakdown

This chart breaks down the ages of mental health specialist employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of mental health specialists is 40+ years old, which represents 61% of the population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Mental Health Specialist Age

Mental Health Specialist YearsPercentages
40+ years61%
30-40 years29%
20-30 years10%

Types of Mental Health Specialist Degree Levels

The most common degree for mental health specialists is bachelor's degree 62% of mental health specialists earn that degree. A close second is master's degree with 21% and rounding it off is associate degree with 10%.

  • Bachelors, 62%
  • Masters, 21%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

Mental Health Specialists By Education

Mental Health Specialist DegreePercentages
Bachelors62%
Masters21%
Associate10%
High School Diploma3%
Other Degrees4%

Mental Health Specialist Jobs You Might Like

Mental Health Specialist Wage Gap By Education

$54,000
$51,000
$48,000
$45,000
$42,000
$39,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$52,828
Bachelor's Degree$41,520

Mental Health Specialist Employment Statistics

This section highlights information about where mental health specialists work. We found most mental health specialists work for a private company. In addition, the industry that employs the most mental health specialists is the health care industry.

Company Size

We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire mental health specialists.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Mental Health Specialist Jobs By Employer Size

Company SizePercentages
< 50 employees8%
50 - 100 employees19%
100 - 500 employees36%
500 - 1,000 employees13%
1,000 - 10,000 employees18%
> 10,000 employees6%

The Types Of Companies Mental Health Specialist Work In

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.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Mental Health Specialist Jobs By Sector

Company TypePercentages
Education8%
Public4%
Private68%
Government19%

Top Industries Hiring Mental Health Specialists

Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ mental health specialists. Those industries include health care, non profits and government.

Health Care

Non Profits

Government

Professional

Education

Mental Health Specialist Turnover And Employment Statistics

The Average Number of Years That Mental Health Specialist Stay in a Job

By looking over 8,845 mental health specialists resumes, we figured out that the average mental health specialist enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 33%.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Mental Health Specialist Tenure

Number or YearsPercentages
Less than 1 year22%
1-2 years33%
3-4 years15%
5-7 years17%
8-10 years6%
11+ years7%

Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Mental Health Specialists with Other Job Titles

After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to mental health specialists.

Job TitleLGBTJob Openings
Sexual Assault Counselor8.96%75,374
Probation Officer9.50%55,952
Career Coach10.75%42,622
Ecclesiastical Worker11.25%20,239
Settlement Worker11.48%21,262
Unit Counselor15.06%45,693
Mental Health Specialist15.06%-

Mental Health Specialist LGBT Demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job Openings
Sexual Assault Counselor8.96%75,374
Probation Officer9.50%55,952
Career Coach10.75%42,622
Ecclesiastical Worker11.25%20,239
Settlement Worker11.48%21,262
Unit Counselor15.06%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 LanguagePercentages
Spanish68.7%
French9.6%
Russian2.8%
Portuguese2.4%
German2.0%
Other14.5%

Mental Health Specialist Jobs

Recently Added Mental Health Specialist Jobs

Mental Health Specialist Heatmaps

The amount you can make as a mental health specialist can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of mental health specialists is $82,292. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where Do Mental Health Specialists Earn The Most?

Mental health specialists earn the most in California, where the average mental health specialist salary is $71,693. The map here shows where mental health specialists earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.

Average Salary

Which State Has The Most Mental Health Specialists?

By looking through more than 8,845 resumes, we found that the most popular places for mental health specialists are Chicago, IL and Columbia, SC.

Number of Mental Health Specialists

Number Of Mental Health Specialist Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California5,911$71,693
2Massachusetts3,448$42,337
3Texas3,283$46,116
4Ohio2,140$39,312
5New York2,085$57,146
6Florida1,963$45,002
7Pennsylvania1,950$40,843
8Michigan1,904$42,804
9North Carolina1,823$52,722
10Indiana1,584$40,547
11Virginia1,538$39,737
12Minnesota1,513$50,120
13Maryland1,410$39,577
14Illinois1,331$43,520
15Arizona1,295$50,121
16Washington1,228$57,591
17Missouri1,198$39,796
18Georgia1,142$36,553
19Colorado1,000$43,749
20Wisconsin992$40,290
21New Jersey961$54,011
22Iowa777$53,330
23Alabama706$41,782
24Kentucky678$38,259
25Louisiana643$38,873
26Oklahoma642$38,624
27Arkansas592$31,074
28Oregon588$54,287
29South Carolina587$37,170
30Tennessee541$38,520
31Utah510$58,584
32Kansas465$43,571
33Connecticut457$57,600
34Nebraska425$32,967
35Mississippi370$45,143
36Maine359$47,539
37Idaho357$48,865
38Nevada346$59,048
39District of Columbia275$58,093
40New Hampshire257$56,304
41New Mexico250$47,645
42Hawaii210$62,867
43Rhode Island206$46,897
44Delaware197$51,851
45Alaska175$64,875
46South Dakota167$49,073
47Montana167$45,416
48Vermont165$49,011
49North Dakota161$51,876
50West Virginia125$40,940
51Wyoming111$45,636

Where Are Mental Health Specialists In High Demand?

Mental health specialists are in high demand in Los Angeles, CA. There are currently 22 job openings for mental health specialists here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country mental health specialists are in the most demand.

Jobs Openings

Mental Health Specialist Demographics FAQs

How Many Mental Health Specialist Are There In The Us?

There are over 51,504 Mental Health Specialists in the United States.

What Percentage Of Mental Health Specialists Are Black?

7.9% of Mental Health Specialists are Black or African American

What Race Are Most Mental Health Specialists?

Most a are White, with 74.2% of Mental Health Specialists belonging to this ethnicity. 7.9% of Mental Health Specialists are Black or African American, 7.9% of Mental Health Specialists are Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% of Mental Health Specialists are Unknown, 3.1% of Mental Health Specialists are Asian, and 0.7% of Mental Health Specialists are American Indian and Alaska Native

Are Mental Health Specialist Jobs Male - Dominated?

No, Mental Health Specialist jobs are not male - dominated. 67% of Mental Health Specialists are female, and 32% are male, so there are more female Mental Health Specialists than male Mental Health Specialists in the United States.

How Old Is The Average Mental Health Specialist?

The average Mental Health Specialist is 45 years old. 61% of Mental Health Specialists are 40+ years old or older, 29% are between the ages of 30-40 years, and 10% are between 20-30 years old

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