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Therapist Salary
Therapist Salary Estimate
$55,943
How much does a Therapist make?
The average salary for a therapist in the United States is $55,943. Therapist salaries typically range between $39,000 and $80,000 a year. The average hourly rate for therapists is $26.9 per hour.
Location, education, and experience impacts how much a therapist can expect to make. Therapists make the most in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Dakota, and Virginia.
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The average salary for a therapist is $55,943 in the US. -
The average therapist salary ranges between $39,000 and $80,000 in the US. -
Hourly rates for therapists in the US typically range between $18 and $38 an hour. -
The average therapist salary is $72,873 in California, $72,644 in New Jersey, and $65,435 in Connecticut. These are the three highest-paying states for therapists in the US. -
Childhelp has the highest average salary for therapists. -
Government is the highest-paying industry for therapists in the US.
Highest Paying States For Therapists
- State View
- County View
Therapist average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $64,560 | $31.04 | 235 |
| 2 | Vermont | $62,110 | $29.86 | 276 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $65,435 | $31.46 | 843 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $72,644 | $34.92 | 1,477 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $61,554 | $29.59 | 830 |
| 6 | California | $72,873 | $35.04 | 5,772 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $57,638 | $27.71 | 558 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $61,055 | $29.35 | 2,419 |
| 9 | Maine | $57,955 | $27.86 | 327 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $57,365 | $27.58 | 332 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $57,838 | $27.81 | 2,482 |
| 12 | Nevada | $61,221 | $29.43 | 313 |
| 13 | Virginia | $64,529 | $31.02 | 1,427 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $54,755 | $26.32 | 481 |
| 15 | Washington | $60,328 | $29.00 | 1,282 |
| 16 | Maryland | $61,867 | $29.74 | 1,084 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $69,044 | $33.19 | 141 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $53,421 | $25.68 | 144 |
| 19 | Arizona | $54,419 | $26.16 | 1,417 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $56,025 | $26.94 | 427 |
| 21 | New York | $60,889 | $29.27 | 2,133 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $52,313 | $25.15 | 543 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $58,668 | $28.21 | 930 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $51,682 | $24.85 | 366 |
| 25 | Texas | $55,069 | $26.48 | 3,738 |
| 26 | Idaho | $56,652 | $27.24 | 265 |
| 27 | Alaska | $52,598 | $25.29 | 231 |
| 28 | Alabama | $54,818 | $26.35 | 635 |
| 29 | Illinois | $54,910 | $26.40 | 2,173 |
| 30 | Michigan | $53,853 | $25.89 | 1,249 |
| 31 | Oregon | $53,583 | $25.76 | 703 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $52,242 | $25.12 | 1,526 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,000 | $24.52 | 1,586 |
| 34 | Indiana | $47,539 | $22.86 | 1,378 |
| 35 | Georgia | $50,155 | $24.11 | 1,917 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $48,449 | $23.29 | 543 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $48,615 | $23.37 | 960 |
| 38 | Florida | $45,486 | $21.87 | 4,198 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $47,265 | $22.72 | 982 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $45,830 | $22.03 | 202 |
| 41 | Colorado | $48,615 | $23.37 | 1,138 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $44,756 | $21.52 | 243 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $47,088 | $22.64 | 620 |
| 44 | Montana | $46,169 | $22.20 | 219 |
| 45 | Delaware | $49,244 | $23.68 | 209 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $44,782 | $21.53 | 478 |
| 47 | Kansas | $44,352 | $21.32 | 583 |
| 48 | Utah | $48,736 | $23.43 | 363 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $45,900 | $22.07 | 983 |
| 50 | Missouri | $44,095 | $21.20 | 1,178 |
| 51 | Iowa | $45,910 | $22.07 | 605 |
Highest Paying Cities For Therapists
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $77,931 | $37.47 | 15 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $62,119 | $29.86 | 19 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $61,297 | $29.47 | 79 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $60,755 | $29.21 | 14 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $58,928 | $28.33 | 2 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $58,798 | $28.27 | 7 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $58,386 | $28.07 | 61 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $55,570 | $26.72 | 6 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $55,189 | $26.53 | 40 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $54,615 | $26.26 | 37 |
| 11 | Wake Forest, NC | $53,430 | $25.69 | 12 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $52,994 | $25.48 | 2 |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH | $51,851 | $24.93 | 21 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $50,118 | $24.10 | 16 |
| 15 | Colorado Springs, CO | $48,985 | $23.55 | 8 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Therapist Salary by Years of Experience
Therapist Salary By Experience Level
| Experience Level | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $56,100 | $26.96 |
| Mid Level | $61,100 | $29.40 |
| Senior Level | $70,000 | $33.68 |
Therapists Salary Details
What is a Therapist's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| Average | $55,943 | $4,662 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest Paying Types of Therapists
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinician | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 105,023 |
| Mental Health Nurse | $106,812 | $8,901 | $51.35 | 86,884 |
| Behavioral Health Technician | $34,611 | $2,884 | $16.64 | 99,503 |
| Outpatient Physical Therapist | $66,359 | $5,530 | $31.90 | 119,973 |
| Marriage And Family Therapist | $57,856 | $4,821 | $27.82 | 114,361 |
| Student Physical Therapist | $73,003 | $6,084 | $35.10 | 92,101 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Therapists The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Childhelp | $96,296 | $46.30 | 6 |
| 2 | Masada Home Care | $88,010 | $42.31 | 2 |
| 3 | Crossroads Counseling | $84,853 | $40.79 | |
| 4 | Indian Creek Foundation | $83,627 | $40.21 | 1 |
| 5 | Suncoast Center | $81,861 | $39.36 | |
| 6 | Seacoast Mental Health Center | $78,475 | $37.73 | 7 |
| 7 | Canvas Health | $77,146 | $37.09 | 38 |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $75,877 | $36.48 | 1 |
| 9 | Premier Behavioral Solutions Inc | $74,509 | $35.82 | 1 |
| 10 | Montage Health | $74,332 | $35.74 | 5 |
| 11 | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room | $72,979 | $35.09 | 7 |
| 12 | Thriveworks | $72,162 | $34.69 | 2,724 |
| 13 | Union of Pan Asian Communities-UPAC | $72,145 | $34.69 | |
| 14 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $71,451 | $34.35 | 47 |
| 15 | Chesapeake Regional Healthcare | $71,444 | $34.35 | 11 |
| 16 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $71,401 | $34.33 | 2 |
| 17 | Homestead Hospice | $71,301 | $34.28 | |
| 18 | Alleghany | $71,092 | $34.18 | 3 |
| 19 | Aegis Therapies | $70,983 | $34.13 | 297 |
| 20 | Lone Star Circle of Care | $70,612 | $33.95 | 6 |
How Much Do Therapists Make In Different Industries?
Therapist salaries can vary depending on the industry. In fact, our data shows that the government, education, and health care industries tend to offer much higher salaries for therapists. For example, therapists make a whopping average salary of $55,972 while working in the government industry. Meanwhile, other people in this field are making $55,940 in the education industry and $54,142 in the health care industry.
Therapists may want to avoid working in the professional industry as it offers the lowest average salary of $54,129.
Highest Paying Industries For Therapists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $55,972 | $26.91 |
| 2 | Education | $55,940 | $26.89 |
| 3 | Health Care | $54,142 | $26.03 |
| 4 | Professional | $54,129 | $26.02 |
High Paying Therapist Jobs
Therapist Pay Trends
Average Therapist Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Therapist Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $55,900 | $26.90 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $55,000 | $26.43 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $54,000 | $25.99 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | $53,400 | $25.67 | +1.7% |
| 2019 | $52,500 | $25.24 | +1.6% |
Recently Added Therapist Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifestance Health | Therapist (Lmft & Lcsw Remote or Hybrid | San Marcos, CA | 05/04/2023 | $83,000 |
| Thriveworks | Private Practice Therapist | San Francisco, CA | 05/02/2023 | $125,400 |
| The Easter Seal Society of Iowa | Crisis Stabilization Therapist | Des Moines, IA | 05/02/2023 | $62,610 |
| Papillon Healing Specialists | Therapist | Orem, UT | 05/02/2023 | $80,000 |
| Lifestance Health | Therapist | Seattle, WA | 05/02/2023 | $80,000 |
| Akua Behavioral Health | Therapist As | Sacramento, CA | 05/02/2023 | $43,827 |
| McCollum Family Chiropractic | Wanted Softwave Therapist | Capitola, CA | 05/02/2023 | $52,175 |
| Synergy Family Services | Employee Therapist | Hyattsville, MD | 05/02/2023 | $50,000 |
| Rogers Behavioral Health | Therapist (PRN) | Denver, CO | 05/01/2023 | $70,436 |
| Harris County | Therapist | Houston, TX | 05/01/2023 | $60,000 |
Therapist Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Therapists The Most?
California pays Therapists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $72,873 per year, or $35.04 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Therapist?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Therapist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Jersey you should be paid close to $72,644 per year.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Therapist?
A good starting salary for a therapist is $40,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a therapist in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for therapists is $52,984, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a therapist can vary by state.
Do Therapists Get Paid Well?
Yes, therapists get paid well. As most jobs go, location, company, and experience can determine your salary, but you typically earn more with some of the top-paying states like New Jersey, Alaska, and New Hampshire, offering average salaries above $61,000.
Do Therapists Make Good Money?
Yes, therapists make good money. Depending on how advanced their degree is, therapists can make up to $10,770 per month, and that is nearly three times what the average American worker makes.
How Much Do Therapists Make An Hour?
Therapists make about $24.67 hourly or about $51,000 yearly. As most jobs go, location, company, and experience can determine your salary.
On the lower end of the salary range, you can make about $39,000, such as working for the state of South Carolina. On the higher end, you can earn around $67,000. Some of the top-paying states are New Jersey, Alaska, and New Hampshire, offering average salaries above $61,000.
How Much Do Therapists Make Starting Out?
Therapists make around $52,000 yearly starting out. As most jobs go, location and company can determine your salary.
On the lower end of the salary range, you can make about $39,000, such as working in the state of South Carolina. On the higher end, you can earn around $67,000.
What Is The Highest-paid Therapist?
The highest-paid therapist is a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained in psychiatric therapy and earns an average salary of $217,798 a year. This is significantly higher than the average salary for a regular therapist who earns around $75,000 a year.
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