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Mental health therapist salary
Average mental health therapist salary
$50,259
Average Mental Health Therapist Salary
The average salary for a mental health therapist in the United States stands at $50,259 per year. This figure can vary based on region, level of experience, and specific job responsibilities. For instance, therapists in urban areas often report higher salaries compared to their rural counterparts due to demand and cost of living adjustments.
Salary by Experience Level
As mental health therapists gain experience, their earning potential typically increases. Entry-level therapists may start at around $40,000, while those with several years of experience can earn over $60,000 annually. Specializations, such as working with children or addiction counseling, can also lead to higher salaries.
Highest Paying States
States like California and New York frequently offer the highest salaries for mental health therapists, often exceeding $70,000 per year. Understanding these salary trends can help professionals make informed career decisions and seek opportunities in regions with better compensation packages.
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Where can a Mental Health Therapist earn more?
Mental health therapist salaries by experience level
Mental health therapist salary estimates from across the web
Average mental health therapist salary by state
The highest-paying states for mental health therapists are Connecticut, California, and Washington. The lowest average mental health therapist salary states are South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mental health therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $69,994 | $33.65 |
| 2 | Washington | $63,894 | $30.72 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $60,195 | $28.94 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $60,566 | $29.12 |
| 5 | Nevada | $62,739 | $30.16 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $70,469 | $33.88 |
| 7 | Delaware | $58,121 | $27.94 |
| 8 | Maine | $52,592 | $25.28 |
| 9 | Idaho | $52,455 | $25.22 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $62,417 | $30.01 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $55,482 | $26.67 |
| 12 | Alaska | $62,862 | $30.22 |
| 13 | New York | $62,399 | $30.00 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $61,674 | $29.65 |
| 15 | Illinois | $54,081 | $26.00 |
| 16 | Michigan | $49,395 | $23.75 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,919 | $26.88 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $62,230 | $29.92 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $53,456 | $25.70 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $51,051 | $24.54 |
| 21 | Iowa | $47,514 | $22.84 |
| 22 | Colorado | $50,482 | $24.27 |
| 23 | Utah | $51,382 | $24.70 |
| 24 | Vermont | $54,304 | $26.11 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $48,622 | $23.38 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $52,414 | $25.20 |
| 27 | Oregon | $51,742 | $24.88 |
| 28 | Indiana | $44,586 | $21.44 |
| 29 | Montana | $49,559 | $23.83 |
| 30 | Ohio | $46,878 | $22.54 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $50,819 | $24.43 |
| 32 | Maryland | $47,885 | $23.02 |
| 33 | Arizona | $48,412 | $23.27 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $50,222 | $24.15 |
| 35 | Texas | $46,135 | $22.18 |
| 36 | Kansas | $44,012 | $21.16 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $47,562 | $22.87 |
| 38 | Missouri | $43,870 | $21.09 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $40,099 | $19.28 |
| 40 | Alabama | $41,202 | $19.81 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $37,806 | $18.18 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $38,649 | $18.58 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $38,768 | $18.64 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $30,834 | $14.82 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $36,505 | $17.55 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $40,169 | $19.31 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $38,893 | $18.70 |
| 48 | Georgia | $36,526 | $17.56 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $37,719 | $18.13 |
| 50 | Florida | $39,907 | $19.19 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,360 | $17.96 |
Highest paying cities for mental health therapists
The highest-paying cities for mental health therapists are San Francisco, CA, Bellingham, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $72,888 | $35.04 |
| 2 | Bellingham, WA | $65,075 | $31.29 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $62,562 | $30.08 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $62,248 | $29.93 |
| 5 | Salem, NH | $62,188 | $29.90 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $60,586 | $29.13 |
| 7 | Norfolk, VA | $55,903 | $26.88 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $54,263 | $26.09 |
| 9 | Aberdeen, SD | $54,187 | $26.05 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $53,486 | $25.71 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $52,378 | $25.18 |
| 12 | Hillsboro, OR | $51,920 | $24.96 |
| 13 | Washington, UT | $51,792 | $24.90 |
| 14 | Denver, CO | $50,510 | $24.28 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $48,496 | $23.32 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | $48,078 | $23.11 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $47,817 | $22.99 |
| 18 | Des Moines, IA | $47,295 | $22.74 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $46,119 | $22.17 |
| 20 | Richmond, IN | $44,823 | $21.55 |
Mental Health Therapists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Mental health therapist salary details
A mental health therapist's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mental health therapist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $50,259 | $4,188 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying mental health therapist jobs
The highest paying types of mental health therapists are mental health nurse, licensed professional counselor, and counselor/art therapist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinician | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 105,023 |
| Licensed Professional Counselor | $94,675 | $7,890 | $45.52 | 153,612 |
| Counselor/Art Therapist | $79,417 | $6,618 | $38.18 | 80,647 |
| Primary Therapist | $59,826 | $4,985 | $28.76 | 85,127 |
| Therapist | $55,943 | $4,662 | $26.90 | 159,770 |
| Outpatient Physical Therapist | $66,359 | $5,530 | $31.90 | 119,973 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mental health therapists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Terry Pettijohn Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Gupta College of Science
Top companies hiring mental health therapists now:
Which companies pay mental health therapists the most?
Mental health therapist salaries at Tykes And Teens and Sutter Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mental health therapist salary at companies like Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) and Gotham are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tykes And Teens | $68,247 | $32.81 |
| 2 | Sutter Health | $67,368 | $32.39 |
| 3 | Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) | $66,936 | $32.18 |
| 4 | Gotham | $65,977 | $31.72 |
| 5 | Union of Pan Asian Communities-UPAC | $65,760 | $31.62 |
| 6 | Mission Regional Medical Center | $64,673 | $31.09 |
| 7 | Suncoast Post-Tension | $62,682 | $30.14 |
| 8 | CrossroadsBHC | $62,449 | $30.02 |
| 9 | CentraState Healthcare System | $62,289 | $29.95 |
| 10 | Washington County | $62,220 | $29.91 |
| 11 | Promega | $61,799 | $29.71 |
| 12 | Wilder Foundation | $61,547 | $29.59 |
| 13 | Fairview Health Services | $61,159 | $29.40 |
| 14 | Carilion Clinic | $60,599 | $29.13 |
| 15 | Congreso de Latinos Unidos | $60,520 | $29.10 |
| 16 | Interim HealthCare | $60,470 | $29.07 |
| 17 | Salt Lake County | $60,422 | $29.05 |
| 18 | Baylor Scott & White Health | $60,319 | $29.00 |
| 19 | Satanta District Hospital | $60,272 | $28.98 |
| 20 | Health Alliance | $60,117 | $28.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mental health therapist salary trends
The average mental health therapist salary has risen by $9,789 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mental health therapist earned $40,470 annually, but today, they earn $50,259 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for mental health therapists over the last decade.
Compare mental health therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mental health therapist salary over time
Compare mental health therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mental health therapist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,300 | $24.16 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $48,100 | $23.14 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $46,300 | $22.24 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $44,600 | $21.45 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $44,000 | $21.18 | +1.2% |
Recently added mental health therapist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Counseling Solutions | Mental Health Therapist | Hermiston, OR | 06/30/2025 | $73,900 |
| Mainstream Nonprofit Solutions | Mental Health Therapist | Topeka, KS | 06/30/2025 | $72,000 |
| Acendahealth | Therapist-Substance USE, Co-Occurring, Mental Health | Morristown, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $114,785 |
| Ccrcca | Mental Health Therapist-Licensed | San Bernardino, CA | 06/30/2025 | $84,000 |
| Community Partners of South Florida | Mental Health Therapists (Hybrid)-Licensed | Riviera Beach, FL | 06/29/2025 | $55,000 |
| Monarch | Mental/Behavioral Health Therapist, Child Mental Health Crisis (PRN) | Charlotte, NC | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Vitas Healthcare | Mental Health Therapist | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $63,000 |
| Headlight | Licensed Mental Health Therapist-Oregon/Washington | Portland, OR | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Headlight | Mental Health Therapists | Vancouver, WA | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Headlight | Licensed Mental Health Therapist-Hybrid | San Diego, CA | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
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