The median pay for Mental Health Counselors is $60,320 a year ($29.00/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 10.9% through 2035, with about 97,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed.
- SOC 21-1014
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Mental Health Counselor in four numbers
- Median pay
- $60,320a year, or $29.00/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $39KTop 10% $101K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +10.9%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+10.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +10.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 97,7001,145,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.1M
- Projected 20351.3M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.1M Projected 2035 1.3M - Typical education
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Neededneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Master's89.3%
- Post-master’s certificate7.1%
- Professional degree3.6%
Highest education held by mental health counselors Segment Value Master's 89.3% Post-master’s certificate 7.1% Professional degree 3.6%
Also advertised as: Behavior Analyst, Behavioral Health Counselor, Case Manager, Clinician, Counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).
Pay
How much do Mental Health Counselors make?
Every mental health counselor in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$60,320
Middle half earn $47,560 to $78,260
- 10th
- $39,250
- 25th
- $47,560
- 75th
- $78,260
- 90th
- $100,900
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $39,250 |
| 25th | $47,560 |
| Median | $60,320 |
| 75th | $78,260 |
| 90th | $100,900 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $60,320
- Median hourly wage
- $29.00/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $66,300
- People employed
- 1,035,300
Versus all US occupations
At $60,320, Mental Health Counselors earn 18% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,340 a year.
Versus community and social service occupations
The median is typical for the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $100,900 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,250, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 33% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Job outlook
Is Mental Health Counselor a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +10.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Counselors | +10.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Mental Health Counselors to change 10.9% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 124,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 97,700 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 1,145,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Mental Health Counselor
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
N/A
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
N/A
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as mental health counselors.
- Master's Degree89.3%
- Post-Master's Certificate7.1%
- First Professional Degree3.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 89.3% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 7.1% |
| First Professional Degree | 3.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Mental Health Counselor do?
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.
Day-to-day tasks
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
- Perform crisis interventions with clients.
- Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening5.0
- Speaking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Writing4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 5.0 |
| Speaking | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness5.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Service Orientation3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Persuasion3.6
- Coordination3.0
- Negotiation3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 5.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Mental Health Counselor?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Mental Health Counselor |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.8
- Investigative4.4
- Conventional3.4
- Artistic3.1
- Enterprising3.0
- Realistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Mental Health Counselor
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
$60,280median a year
Most earn $40K to $104K
+10.3%Master's - Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with mental health counselors highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health Counselor$60,320
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health Counselor | $60,320 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within mental health counselor
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Mental Health Counselor appears on
Questions
Mental Health Counselor: frequently asked questions
How much do Mental Health Counselors make?
Mental Health Counselors earn a median of $60,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 18% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $29.00/hr. The middle half earn between $47,560 and $78,260. The top 10% earn $100,900 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Mental Health Counselor?
Yes. BLS reports a job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed as the typical entry-level education for Mental Health Counselors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 89.3% hold master's degree.
Is Mental Health Counselor a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 10.9% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 97,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Mental Health Counselor do?
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. A core O*NET task: maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
What personality type suits a Mental Health Counselor?
O*NET scores Mental Health Counselors highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ENFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.