Mental Health Counselor Salaries

How much does a Mental Health Counselor make?

Updated Sep 29, 2023

Experience

Industry

$63,614 / yrTotal Pay
$60,725 / yrBase Pay
$2,889 / yrAdditional Pay

$63,614

 / yr
$41K$99K
Most Likely Range
Possible Range

The estimated total pay for a Mental Health Counselor is $63,614 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $60,725 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $2,889 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate does $63,614 look to you?

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Total Pay Trajectory

For Mental Health Counselor

$63,614 /yr
Mental Health Counselor
$69,541 /yr
Senior Mental Health Counselor
No Salary Reports
Mental Health Counselor IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Mental Health Counselor?

Job TitleSalary
Mental Health Counselor$63,614 /yr
Senior Mental Health Counselor$69,541 /yr
Mental Health Counselor IV

Top Paying Companies

For a Mental Health Counselor in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Mental Health Counselor in United States. Employers include US Department of Veterans Affairs, John Muir Health and BetterHelp.

1
US Department of Veterans Affairs
US Department of Veterans Affairs
$65,987/yr
4K open jobs
5
$58,425/yr
See pay for all companies for a Mental Health Counselor in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Mental Health Counselor in United States

1US Department of Veterans Affairs$65,987
2John Muir Health$64,143
3BetterHelp$59,470
4Self Opportunity$59,339
5SelfEmployed.com$58,425
6NYC Health + Hospitals$57,982
7Trinity Health$57,239
8South Carolina Department of Mental Health$57,218
9Norwegian American Hospital$56,752
10Providence$56,644
Total Pay Trajectory

For Mental Health Counselor

$63,614 /yr
Mental Health Counselor
$69,541 /yr
Senior Mental Health Counselor
No Salary Reports
Mental Health Counselor IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Mental Health Counselor?

Job TitleSalary
Mental Health Counselor$63,614 /yr
Senior Mental Health Counselor$69,541 /yr
Mental Health Counselor IV

What are total pay estimates for a Mental Health Counselor at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Walden Behavioral Care
3.1
Mental Health CounselorSee 79 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
Seneca Family of Agencies
4.1
Mental Health CounselorSee 67 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
RADIAS Health
3.9
Mental Health CounselorSee 47 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
Mental Health CounselorSee 34 salaries from all locations

$58,425

 / yr
BetterHelp
4
Mental Health CounselorSee 28 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
TaraVista Behavioral Health Center
2.9
Mental Health CounselorSee 26 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
Richmond Area Multi-Services
3.8
Mental Health CounselorSee 19 salaries from all locations

$50,242

 / yr

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John Muir Health
4
Mental Health CounselorSee 18 salaries from all locations

$31

 / hr
Third Way Center
3.5
Mental Health CounselorSee 18 salaries from all locations

$22

 / hr
MHM Services
3.1
Mental Health CounselorSee 17 salaries from all locations

$51,387

 / yr
Options for Community Living
3.4
Mental Health CounselorSee 17 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
LifeStance Health
2.7
Mental Health CounselorSee 16 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
Centurion Health
2.8
Mental Health CounselorSee 16 salaries from all locations

$54,367

 / yr
Bournewood Health Systems
3
Mental Health CounselorSee 15 salaries from all locations

$26

 / hr
MetroWest Medical Center
2.1
Mental Health CounselorSee 13 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
Riverside Community Care
4.1
Mental Health CounselorSee 13 salaries from all locations

$23

 / hr
AMITA Health
3.4
Mental Health CounselorSee 12 salaries from all locations

$27

 / hr
South Bay Community Services
3.3
Mental Health CounselorSee 12 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
South Carolina Department of Mental Health
3.3
Mental Health CounselorSee 12 salaries from all locations

$57,218

 / yr
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School (O-School)
3.6
Mental Health CounselorSee 11 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
Download as data table

Mental Health Counselor Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Walden Behavioral Care Mental Health Counselor salaries - 79 salaries reported$24/hr
Seneca Family of Agencies Mental Health Counselor salaries - 67 salaries reported$25/hr
RADIAS Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 47 salaries reported$25/hr
SelfEmployed.com Mental Health Counselor salaries - 34 salaries reported$58,425/yr
BetterHelp Mental Health Counselor salaries - 28 salaries reported$28/hr
TaraVista Behavioral Health Center Mental Health Counselor salaries - 26 salaries reported$25/hr
Richmond Area Multi-Services Mental Health Counselor salaries - 19 salaries reported$50,242/yr
John Muir Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 18 salaries reported$31/hr
Third Way Center Mental Health Counselor salaries - 18 salaries reported$22/hr
MHM Services Mental Health Counselor salaries - 17 salaries reported$51,387/yr
Options for Community Living Mental Health Counselor salaries - 17 salaries reported$24/hr
LifeStance Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 16 salaries reported$24/hr
Centurion Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 16 salaries reported$54,367/yr
Bournewood Health Systems Mental Health Counselor salaries - 15 salaries reported$26/hr
MetroWest Medical Center Mental Health Counselor salaries - 13 salaries reported$25/hr
Riverside Community Care Mental Health Counselor salaries - 13 salaries reported$23/hr
AMITA Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 12 salaries reported$27/hr
South Bay Community Services Mental Health Counselor salaries - 12 salaries reported$24/hr
South Carolina Department of Mental Health Mental Health Counselor salaries - 12 salaries reported$57,218/yr
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School (O-School) Mental Health Counselor salaries - 11 salaries reported$25/hr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 2,340

Top Paying Industries

For a Mental Health Counselor in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Mental Health Counselor in United States are Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $61,603, Information Technology with a median total pay of $59,470, Media & Communication with a median total pay of $59,339, Management & Consulting with a median total pay of $55,784, and Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services with a median total pay of $55,709.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$61,603

    16% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$59,470

    13% Higher than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$59,339

    12% Higher than other industries

  • Management & ConsultingManagement & Consulting$55,784

    7% Higher than other industries

  • Construction, Repair & Maintenance ServicesConstruction, Repair & Maintenance Services$55,709

    7% Higher than other industries

Government & Public Administration

Top paying companies in Government & Public Administration for Mental Health Counselor are US Department of Veterans Affairs and South Carolina Department of Mental Health.

US Department of Veterans AffairsUS Department of Veterans Affairs$65,987/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Healthcare?

Healthcare jobs, already in high demand, are expected to grow extensively to meet the increased need from an aging population. Careers in this industry are diverse, though most require additional training and pay above-average wages. Despite fewer opportunities for remote work than other professions, healthcare jobs can be found nearly everywhere, including both rural and urban settings. While careers in healthcare offer high job security, they also often involve long hours, including evening and weekend shift work, particularly for those just starting their career.

Recent Salaries Shared

For mental health counselor

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Mental Health Counselor

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$65

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Mental Health Counselor

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$18

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Overnight Youth Counselor

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$21

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Mental Health Counselor

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$55,400

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Mental Health Counselor

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$22

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Lmhp

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$15

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Mental Health Clinician

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$50,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Substance Abuse Counselor

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$36,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday

Mental Health Counselor pay FAQ

The average salary for a Mental Health Counselor is $63,614 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 3940 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Mental Health Counselor employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Mental Health Counselor in United States is $80,164 per year.

The lowest salary for a Mental Health Counselor in United States is $50,611 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Mental Health Counselor or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Mental Health Counselor.

Anonymous Glassdoor ratings find that around 62% of mental health counselors rated their salary as satisfactory. Those with advanced degrees or more experience may potentially be able to increase their earning potential in their current role.

Depending on education and experience, a mental health counselor's compensation can range from $41,212.53 to $98,555.95. The pay of employees following an average mental health counselor career path averages at $63,614.35. If you choose a specialty, such as drug abuse or family counseling, the pay range may increase, based on your location and other qualifications.

When looking to earn a better salary as a mental health counselor, you may consider returning to school to get an advanced degree or higher certifications. Continuing education classes or certification seminars may be offered online to accommodate your work schedule. Some specialty certifications you may consider are:

- Substance abuse counseling

- Geriatric counseling

- Child and adolescent counseling

- School counselor

- Rehabilitation counseling

- Eating disorder counseling

- Marriage and family therapist

You may choose multiple complementary certifications; for example, a school counselor may also be certified in relevant subjects like substance abuse, eating disorders, and child and adolescent counseling.

Before a job interview, research salaries that others with comparable experience and education make. Look at open mental health counselor positions in your area to get a feel for what similar positions pay. When negotiating salary, emphasize relevant facts, such a high GPA, clinical experience, or volunteer work. When negotiating a salary increase in your current mental health counselor job, emphasize items that make you more valuable, such as excellent attendance, volunteer work in the community, willingness to fill in for absent employees while still keeping up with your own work, and willingness to perform duties outside your job description when necessary.

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