Mental health worker demographics and statistics in the US
Mental health worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates mental health worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our mental health worker 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 workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 42,405 mental health workers currently employed in the United States.
- 65.1% of all mental health workers are women, while 34.9% are men.
- The average mental health worker age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of mental health workers is White (74.2%), followed by Black or African American (7.9%), Hispanic or Latino (7.9%) and Unknown (6.2%).
- Mental health workers are most in-demand in Boston, MA.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for mental health workers.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $56,001, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women mental health workers earned 102% of what men earned.
- 15% of all mental health workers are LGBT.
- California is the best state for mental health workers to live.
- Mental health workers are 85% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Mental health worker demographics by:
Mental health worker gender statistics
65.1% of mental health workers are women and 34.9% of mental health workers are men.
- Female, 65.1%
- Male, 34.9%
Mental health worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 65.1% |
| Male | 34.9% |
Mental health worker gender pay gap
Women earn $1.02 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$39,498
Female income
$40,441
Mental health worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared mental health workers 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 Worker | 35% | 65% |
| 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 worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among mental health workers is White, which makes up 74.2% of all mental health workers. Comparatively, 7.9% of mental health workers are Black or African American and 7.9% of mental health workers 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 worker race
| Mental health worker 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 worker wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american mental health workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White mental health workers have the lowest average salary at $36,610.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $38,621 |
| White | $36,610 |
| Black or African American | $41,593 |
| Asian | $40,049 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $40,817 |
Average mental health worker age
See how the average age of mental health workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Mental health worker 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 worker age breakdown
The average age of mental health workers is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the mental health worker population.
Mental health worker age breakdown
| Mental Health Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 10% |
Mental health worker educational attainment
The most common degree for mental health workers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of mental health workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Mental health workers by degree level
| Mental health worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 59% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Mental health worker jobs you might like
Mental health worker wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,329 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,549 |
Mental health worker employment statistics
Most mental health workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where mental health workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where mental health workers work.
Mental health worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 6% |
Mental health worker jobs by company type
Employees with the mental health worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most mental health workers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Mental health worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 85% |
| Government | 6% |
Mental health worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for mental health workers are health care, non profits and professional.
Mental health worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 63% |
| Non Profits | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Government | 4% |
| Education | 3% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
Mental health worker turnover and employment statistics
Average mental health worker tenure
The average mental health worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 12,253 mental health workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Mental health worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Mental health worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of mental health workers 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 |
| Parole Director | 9.50% | 4,577 |
| Cooperative Education Director | 10.75% | 15,010 |
| Ecclesiastical Worker | 11.25% | 20,239 |
| Senior Case Manager | 11.48% | 77,291 |
| Certified Alcohol Counselor | 15.06% | 61,543 |
| Mental Health Worker | 15.06% | - |
Similar mental health worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Grief Counselor | 8.96% | 27,537 |
| Parole Director | 9.50% | 4,577 |
| Cooperative Education Director | 10.75% | 15,010 |
| Ecclesiastical Worker | 11.25% | 20,239 |
| Senior Case Manager | 11.48% | 77,291 |
| Certified Alcohol Counselor | 15.06% | 61,543 |
Foreign languages spoken by mental health workers
The most common foreign language among mental health workers is Spanish at 68.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.6% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 3.3%.
- Spanish, 68.5%
- French, 8.6%
- Portuguese, 3.3%
- Italian, 3.3%
- Russian, 2.3%
- Other, 14.0%
Mental health worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.5% |
| French | 8.6% |
| Portuguese | 3.3% |
| Italian | 3.3% |
| Russian | 2.3% |
| Other | 14.0% |
