Counseling Salaries by Specialty According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median annual ranges for counseling salaries vary by specialty: | School and career counselors | $37,690 – $63,470 | | Substance abuse counselors | $30,657 – $41,202 | | Mental health counselors | $35,580 – $45,010 | | Marriage and family counselors | $33,680 – $54,050 | The average annual salary for doctoral-level psychologists, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $77,750 in 2006. Master's level psychologists earned on average $59,440 in 2006. Reports from PayScale.com in March 2009 show the following median annual salaries for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC): Median Annual Salary - Nationwide | Mental health counselors | $39,450 | | Chemical dependency counselors | $40,540 | | Rehabilitation counselors | $36,547 | | Clinical Therapist | $39,031 |  Where you practice can make a difference to your income. PayScale.com polled the following major cities: Median Annual Salary by City | Chicago | $33,904 | | Atlanta | $36,138 | | Dallas | $40,738 | | Portland | $37,341 | | Nashville | $31,652 | | New York | $43,358 | | Houston | $41,048 | There are three factors that significantly effect counseling salaries: - Location (city, state)
- Years of experience
- Size of business
Larger employers such as hospitals, schools and colleges offer more competitive salaries for counselors than smaller, non-profit social organizations. Counselors in private practice earn a similar range of income, which is also greatly affected by location and years of experience.  |
Counseling Career
Resource Center Counseling Specialties Related Reading |
