Mental Health Counselor Degree and Career Guide
Related Counseling Careers
Therapist Salary: How Much Do Mental Health Counselors Make?
Mental health counselors can earn a wide range of salaries and enjoy faster-than-average job growth projections
Mental health counselors help clients with issues such as depression, OCD and PTSD overcome their challenges and develop into healthier human beings.
Even though they may not become rich, a mental health counselor can make a good living.
Keep reading to find out just what your earning potential is and compare it to the salary of other counselors and therapists.
Median Annual Mental Health Counselor Salary
What’s my earning potential?
Salaries for mental health counselors in the top 10% earned more than $89,920 according to the BLS. As with most psychology careers, experience and location play an enormous factor in salary. Those working in private practice generally earn a higher income than their counterparts—as well as enjoy the benefits of a flexible schedule—although it can take several years to build up a strong client base.
How do mental health counselor salaries compare to other counseling careers?
Is there demand for this career?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career employment for mental health counselors is expected to grow much faster than average as more people turn to professionals to help them cope with mental problems. In fact, the BLS predicts a 18.4% job growth rate through 2032, much faster than the national average for all career fields combined. National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Also, insurance companies may provide for the reimbursement of counselors and therapists as a less costly alternative to psychiatric and psychological treatment.
How much competition will I face for a job?
Job prospects should be good for those choosing to enter the field as approximately 25% of North Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues each year. With the increasing awareness of the related social, political and economic impacts of these problems, there is a growing need for professional mental health counselors.
What kind of companies hire mental health counselors?
People in mental health counseling will work in a variety of settings, including mental health centers, substance abuse treatment centers, hospitals, in private practice, and in employee assistance programs. According to the BLS, a mental health counselor is most frequently employed by the following types of industries or offices:
- Individual and Family Services
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
- Local Government
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners
How can I move up in my mental health counseling career?
Being a mental health counselor is not only rewarding, it’s also a gateway career to other professions. For those who have earned a master’s degree in counseling, you can earn a master’s in social work (MSW) or another counseling area. This, as well as getting your mandatory license, will open your career options and allow you to move into other areas of counseling, such as rehabilitation counseling, substance abuse counseling, marriage and family counseling and educational counseling.