Average Salary for Mental Health Counselors
SOC 21-1014 · Community and Social Service Occupations · 2016 data
The median annual wage for Mental Health Counselors in the United States is $42,840 ($20.59/hr), based on 2016 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $26,950 at the 10th percentile to $70,100 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 139,820 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 4.9% since 2014.
Median Annual
$42,840
Mean Annual
$46,050
10th Pct
$26,950
75th Pct
$55,440
Employment
139,820
Salary Distribution
$27k
10th
$34k
25th
$43k
Median
$55k
75th
$70k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $78,660 |
| Bend, OR | $68,490 |
| Anchorage, AK | $66,940 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $66,870 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $64,980 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $64,800 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $63,960 |
| Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI | $62,910 |
| Waterbury, CT | $62,460 |
| Columbia, MO | $60,520 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $60,070 |
| Portsmouth, NH-ME | $59,120 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $58,550 |
| Mankato, MN | $58,390 |
| Kingston, NY | $58,290 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Mental Health Counselors broken down by industry sector, 2016 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $64,790 |
| Finance and Insurance | $64,180 |
| Junior Colleges | $64,150 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $64,100 |
| Insurance Carriers | $63,270 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $62,680 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $60,090 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $60,090 |
| Educational Support Services | $52,590 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $52,290 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | $52,170 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $51,790 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $51,790 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (excluding state and local schools and hospitals) | $50,840 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (excluding state and local schools and hospitals) | $50,840 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $50,580 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $50,300 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $49,150 |
| Home Health Care Services | $48,790 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $48,390 |
| Hospitals | $47,890 |
| Offices of Physicians | $47,860 |
| Educational Services | $47,070 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $46,920 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $46,790 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $46,640 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | $46,620 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $45,900 |
| Educational Services | $45,610 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $45,550 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $45,500 |
| Facilities Support Services | $45,420 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $44,280 |
| Religious Organizations | $43,830 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $43,770 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $43,730 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $43,630 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $41,930 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $41,900 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $41,890 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $41,810 |
| Individual and Family Services | $41,720 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $41,650 |
| Social Assistance | $41,140 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $41,110 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $41,110 |
| Employment Services | $40,570 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,980 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,980 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,980 |
| Temporary Help Services | $39,880 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $38,900 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $38,870 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $38,280 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $37,440 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $37,170 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $37,050 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $36,990 |
| Child Day Care Services | $36,960 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $36,800 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $36,530 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $36,270 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $30,500 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $29,320 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $42,840 |
| 2015 | $41,880 |
| 2014 | $40,850 |