The average salary for a mental health counselor in the United States is around $48,000 per year.
Avg Salary
Mental health counselors earn an average yearly salary of $48,000.
Wages typically start from $22,000 and go up to $80,000.
22% below national average Updated in 2023
Mental health counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$38.46 per hour
$80,000 per year
Senior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$32.40 per hour
$67,400 per year
Mid-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$23.08 per hour
$48,000 per year
Junior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$16.83 per hour
$35,000 per year
Starting level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$10.58 per hour
$22,000 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Mental health counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $63,900 |
| Wyoming | $55,900 |
| Utah | $55,150 |
| North Dakota | $52,790 |
| Arkansas | $51,690 |
| Maine | $50,720 |
| Oregon | $50,340 |
| New Jersey | $50,210 |
| Connecticut | $48,410 |
| Oklahoma | $48,230 |
| Idaho | $48,010 |
| Arizona | $46,800 |
| Minnesota | $46,580 |
| North Carolina | $46,530 |
| Michigan | $46,390 |
| Colorado | $46,370 |
| Nevada | $46,190 |
| Nebraska | $45,620 |
| Virginia | $45,260 |
| New Hampshire | $44,760 |
| Washington | $44,400 |
| Ohio | $44,130 |
| Wisconsin | $43,980 |
| District of Columbia | $43,090 |
| Florida | $42,930 |
| South Dakota | $42,440 |
| Mississippi | $42,270 |
| Georgia | $41,610 |
| Texas | $41,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,160 |
| Kansas | $40,970 |
| Alabama | $40,890 |
| California | $40,710 |
| Hawaii | $40,590 |
| Indiana | $40,420 |
| Maryland | $40,230 |
| Delaware | $40,040 |
| Massachusetts | $39,880 |
| Kentucky | $39,790 |
| Iowa | $39,350 |
| Missouri | $39,200 |
| Illinois | $38,500 |
| South Carolina | $38,410 |
| New York | $38,030 |
| Vermont | $37,660 |
| New Mexico | $37,400 |
| Montana | $37,080 |
| Louisiana | $35,380 |
| West Virginia | $32,390 |
| Tennessee | $31,360 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,090 |
How do mental health counselor salaries compare to similar careers?
Mental health counselors earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than speech language pathologists but more than paramedics.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Speech language pathologist salary | $52K |
| Ophthalmic medical technologist salary | $53K |
| Occupational therapist assistant salary | $52K |
| Music therapist salary | $51K |
| Substance abuse social worker salary | $51K |
| Mental health counselor salary | $48K |
| Art therapist salary | $48K |
| Career counselor salary | $48K |
| Healthcare social worker salary | $47K |
| Paramedic salary | $46K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)