The average salary for a mental health counselor in California is around $40,710 per year.
Avg Salary
Mental health counselors earn an average yearly salary of $40,710.
Wages typically start from $25,740 and go up to $80,530.
39% below national average Updated in 2016
Mental health counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$38.72 per hour
$80,530 per year
Senior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$27.49 per hour
$57,180 per year
Mid-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$19.57 per hour
$40,710 per year
Junior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$15.65 per hour
$32,560 per year
Starting level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$12.38 per hour
$25,740 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 California. On average, they make less than surgical assistants but more than drug and alcohol counselors.
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)