Mental Health Counselor Salary: How Much Can You Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), mental health counselors earn a median wage of around $54,000 each year. However, many counselors earn much more. Your salary will depend on many factors, including your location and experience.

Remember: Mental health counseling is not an entry-level role. To become a counselor, you must complete 6-8 years of post-high school education and training to fulfill licensure requirements.

Want to learn more? This page details mental health counselor salaries by profession and state. We also provide tips on how to raise your salary and answer frequently asked questions about counseling careers.

Mental health counselors earned a median salary of around $54,000 as of May 2023. However, counselor wages vary widely based on location and years of experience. The lowest earners — those in the 10% percentile — earned a little over $36,000.

Those in the 25% percentile earned a little over $44,000 per year. The highest earners made nearly $90,000 per year, while those in the 75% percentile earned around $70,000.

Your salary will depend, in large part, on the cost of living in your state. Based on BLS data from May 2023, the average counselor salary across the United States ranged from $42,000 to $77,000 a year. In Louisiana, counselor salaries were the lowest, while counselors earned the most in Alaska.

Other low-paying states include West Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama. These three states pay around $47,000 annually.

Utah is the only other state that pays over $70,000 per year. However, Wisconsin comes close, with salaries around $63,000 per year.

To meet accessibility standards, please also include a paginated Sonic table after the Everviz map, with all of the same state and salary data.

We’ve compiled some tips to increase your salary in the counseling field. While there is never a guarantee that you’ll receive a raise, these steps can potentially raise your salary as a mental health counselor.

As a licensed mental health counselor, you’ll already have a master’s degree. If you wish to raise your salary and explore the field at the most advanced level, you can pursue a doctorate in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D) to gain advanced skills in research, psychopathology, therapeutic interventions, and ethical practice.

Make sure your doctoral program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) or the American Psychological Association (APA).

The more years you practice, the more experience you gain, and gaining experience can potentially raise your salary, as in most careers.

The top 10% of mental health counselors earn nearly $90,000 annually, showing the financial benefits of staying in your career and gaining experience and expertise.

Licensure is required for a career as a mental health counselor, but you can boost your mental health counselor salary by pursuing specialized certifications in high-demand areas like addiction, marriage and family, or trauma counseling.

Advanced training in the form of certificates improves your marketability, allowing you to charge higher rates or pursue higher-paying roles.

Depending on your workplace, you may have opportunities to lead projects. Ask your employer if you can take on a project leadership role, lead training workshops, or mentor other employees.

Doing so will give you opportunities to show off your supervisory skills, which can lead to higher-paying roles. Leading projects can also increase your value to your organization and provide specialized experience you can add to your resume.