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Mental health counselor salary
Average mental health counselor salary
$49,471
Understanding Mental Health Counselor Salaries
The average salary for a mental health counselor in the United States is around $49,471 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment. For instance, mental health counselors in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries compared to those in less populated areas.
Additionally, counselors working in specialized sectors such as substance abuse treatment or mental health clinics may also see increased earning potential. Those with advanced degrees or certifications can command higher wages, reflecting the demand for qualified professionals in this field.
For individuals interested in pursuing a career in mental health counseling, it’s essential to consider not just the salary but also the job satisfaction and impact you can have on your clients' lives. By exploring different roles and industries, you can find the right fit that aligns with your career goals while enjoying a fulfilling professional journey.
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Where can a Mental Health Counselor earn more?
Mental health counselor salary estimates from across the web
Average mental health counselor salary by state
The average mental health counselor salary in Washington, Nevada, and Arizona are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average mental health counselor salary states are Delaware, Iowa, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mental health counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $55,995 | $26.92 |
| 2 | Idaho | $55,832 | $26.84 |
| 3 | Maine | $53,379 | $25.66 |
| 4 | Michigan | $51,576 | $24.80 |
| 5 | Nevada | $57,395 | $27.59 |
| 6 | Missouri | $52,621 | $25.30 |
| 7 | Utah | $54,462 | $26.18 |
| 8 | Maryland | $54,983 | $26.43 |
| 9 | Washington | $58,089 | $27.93 |
| 10 | California | $54,747 | $26.32 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $49,596 | $23.84 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $51,344 | $24.68 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $54,029 | $25.98 |
| 14 | Ohio | $47,691 | $22.93 |
| 15 | Texas | $50,804 | $24.43 |
| 16 | Indiana | $46,468 | $22.34 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $47,940 | $23.05 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $51,864 | $24.93 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $48,613 | $23.37 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $53,239 | $25.60 |
| 21 | Oregon | $51,905 | $24.95 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $48,678 | $23.40 |
| 23 | Kansas | $49,811 | $23.95 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $47,484 | $22.83 |
| 25 | Vermont | $47,120 | $22.65 |
| 26 | Alaska | $47,471 | $22.82 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $46,978 | $22.59 |
| 28 | Alabama | $46,955 | $22.57 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $47,244 | $22.71 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $45,763 | $22.00 |
| 31 | Virginia | $48,986 | $23.55 |
| 32 | New York | $50,527 | $24.29 |
| 33 | Colorado | $47,761 | $22.96 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $46,868 | $22.53 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $46,992 | $22.59 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $42,904 | $20.63 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $44,302 | $21.30 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $47,022 | $22.61 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $45,637 | $21.94 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $44,104 | $21.20 |
| 41 | Montana | $46,313 | $22.27 |
| 42 | Iowa | $42,235 | $20.31 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $46,332 | $22.27 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $43,531 | $20.93 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $39,188 | $18.84 |
| 46 | Florida | $44,530 | $21.41 |
| 47 | Delaware | $42,730 | $20.54 |
| 48 | Illinois | $43,615 | $20.97 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $41,318 | $19.86 |
| 50 | Georgia | $40,641 | $19.54 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $38,845 | $18.68 |
Highest paying cities for mental health counselors
The highest-paying cities for mental health counselors are Longview, WA, Las Vegas, NV, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Longview, WA | $58,959 | $28.35 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $57,354 | $27.57 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $55,358 | $26.61 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $55,185 | $26.53 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $54,254 | $26.08 |
| 6 | Ridgefield, CT | $54,069 | $25.99 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $54,014 | $25.97 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $53,295 | $25.62 |
| 9 | Albany, OR | $52,047 | $25.02 |
| 10 | Corpus Christi, TX | $51,555 | $24.79 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $50,656 | $24.35 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO | $47,887 | $23.02 |
| 13 | Cheyenne, WY | $47,671 | $22.92 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $47,437 | $22.81 |
| 15 | Shreveport, LA | $46,769 | $22.49 |
| 16 | Salem, NH | $45,830 | $22.03 |
| 17 | Saint Paul, MN | $45,752 | $22.00 |
| 18 | Miami, FL | $44,967 | $21.62 |
| 19 | Greenville, NC | $44,837 | $21.56 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $44,351 | $21.32 |
Mental Health Counselors are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Mental health counselor salary details
A mental health counselor's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mental health counselor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,471 | $4,123 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying mental health counselor jobs
The highest paying types of mental health counselors are mental health clinician, clinical counselor, and crisis counselor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counselor Internship | $45,500 | $3,792 | $21.88 | 132,694 |
| Alcohol And Drug Counselor | $45,758 | $3,813 | $22.00 | 77,461 |
| Crisis Counselor | $51,142 | $4,262 | $24.59 | 76,255 |
| Group Counselor | $40,155 | $3,346 | $19.31 | 84,413 |
| Program Counselor | $43,820 | $3,652 | $21.07 | 133,491 |
| Counselor | $36,225 | $3,019 | $17.42 | 77,536 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mental health counselors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sarah Christa Butts MSW
Director of Public Policy, National Association of Social Workers
Top companies hiring mental health counselors now:
Which companies pay mental health counselors the most?
Mental health counselor salaries at Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services and The LCADA Way are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mental health counselor salary at companies like Apple and Phoenix Counseling Center are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services | $90,470 | $43.50 |
| 2 | The LCADA Way | $88,657 | $42.62 |
| 3 | Apple | $84,233 | $40.50 |
| 4 | Phoenix Counseling Center | $80,492 | $38.70 |
| 5 | Wellpath | $75,777 | $36.43 |
| 6 | City of Reno | $74,166 | $35.66 |
| 7 | Child Guidance Center | $69,739 | $33.53 |
| 8 | Hospice Buffalo | $69,283 | $33.31 |
| 9 | Sandia National Labs | $68,980 | $33.16 |
| 10 | Thriveworks | $66,766 | $32.10 |
| 11 | PeaceHealth | $64,991 | $31.25 |
| 12 | MaineGeneral Health | $62,937 | $30.26 |
| 13 | Cure Healthcare Staffing | $62,725 | $30.16 |
| 14 | Community Counseling and Mediation | $62,687 | $30.14 |
| 15 | Mental Health Systems | $62,625 | $30.11 |
| 16 | Tenet Healthcare | $62,278 | $29.94 |
| 17 | Aurora Mental Health Center | $61,593 | $29.61 |
| 18 | Halifax Health | $61,060 | $29.36 |
| 19 | HealthRIGHT 360 | $60,969 | $29.31 |
| 20 | University of California-Berkeley | $60,861 | $29.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mental Health Counselor salary by industry
The average mental health counselor salary varies across industries:
- The average mental health counselor salary in the health care industry is $52,181, the highest of any industry.
- The average mental health counselor salary in the finance industry is $51,859.
- Mental health counselors in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $49,849, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for mental health counselors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $52,181 | $25.09 |
| 2 | Government | $51,859 | $24.93 |
| 3 | Education | $51,841 | $24.92 |
| 4 | Professional | $50,685 | $24.37 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $49,849 | $23.97 |
High paying mental health counselor jobs
Mental health counselor salary trends
The average mental health counselor salary has risen by $8,484 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mental health counselor earned $40,987 annually, but today, they earn $49,471 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for mental health counselors over the last decade.
Compare mental health counselor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mental health counselor salary over time
Compare mental health counselor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mental health counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,500 | $23.78 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $48,000 | $23.06 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $46,800 | $22.51 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $45,700 | $21.96 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $44,800 | $21.54 | +2.2% |
Recently added mental health counselor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Mental Health Counselor | Statesboro, GA | 06/30/2025 | $65,000 |
| Georgia Southern University | Mental Health Counselor | Statesboro, GA | 06/30/2025 | $65,000 |
| Bristol Community College | Senior Academic Counselor-Mental Health Counseling | Taunton, MA | 06/30/2025 | $73,692 |
| Lifestance Health | Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Lmhc) | Providence, RI | 06/30/2025 | $72,000 |
| ATC Healthcare | Mental Health Counselor-Qmhp | Albany, OR | 06/29/2025 | $83,480 |
| Community Service Society of New York | Health Counselor | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $77,456 |
| Get It-Healthcare | Mental Health Counselor-Remote | WFH | Buffalo, NY | 06/29/2025 | $60,500 |
| Get It-Healthcare | Provisional Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor-Remote | Durham, NC | 06/29/2025 | $83,480 |
| Get It-Healthcare | Mental Health Counselor (Lmft, Lpcc, Lcsw)-Remote | WFH | San Diego, CA | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| Get It-Executive | Behavioral Health Counselor-Remote | Shreveport, LA | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
Mental health counselor salary FAQs
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