Mental Health Counselor Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Mental health counselors hold about 100,000 positions nationally. As an occupation, this career is ranked low for unemployment rate. About 3% of employees could not obtain a job in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Jobs in this career are most numerous in Taunton (Massachusetts), Gadsden (Alabama), and Scranton (Pennsylvania), and least common in Greensboro (North Carolina), Dallas (Texas), and Charleston (South Carolina).

Salaries vary the US, with the highest being found in Bakersfield (California), Vineland (New Jersey), and Lafayette (Indiana). The lowest salaries for this job are in Coeur d'Alene (Idaho), Houma (Louisiana), and Elkhart (Indiana).

Training and Education

Getting a master's degree will improve one'schance of landing a job in this field. Mental health counselors with at least a bachelor's degree are 73% of the total. Approximately 18% of workers started college, but did not pursue a bachelor's degree. High school was sufficient education for 9% of people in this field. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Approximately, 15% of mental health counselors work part-time. In this field, about 6% work for themselves.

Mental Health Counselors: An Introductory Video

Mental Health Counselors Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of mental health counselors compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for mental health counselors.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Birmingham	$33,000	190
Mobile	$43,000	180
Gadsden	$25,000	170
Montgomery	$49,000	130
Tuscaloosa	$36,000	40

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$55,000	230
Fairbanks		40

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$49,000	690
Tucson	$40,000	150

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$44,000	130
Fort Smith	$49,000	70
Fayetteville	$40,000	60

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Diego	$49,000	920
Oakland	$44,000	810
Sacramento	$55,000	730
Riverside	$53,000	720
San Francisco	$50,000	700
San Jose	$45,000	520
Santa Ana	$38,000	380
Fresno	$56,000	380
Vallejo	$48,000	180
Stockton	$41,000	180
Bakersfield	$66,000	140
Salinas		90
Hanford	$59,000	90
Oxnard	$54,000	70
San Luis Obispo		70
Santa Cruz	$42,000	50

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$37,000	1,630
Pueblo	$42,000	190
Colorado Springs	$45,000	180
Boulder	$39,000	160
Fort Collins	$39,000	160
Grand Junction	$33,000	60

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Haven	$40,000	470
Bridgeport	$42,000	420
Hartford	$40,000	410
Danbury	$32,000	130
Waterbury	$36,000	100

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$41,000	140

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$52,000	1,570

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tampa	$36,000	600
Miami	$45,000	570
Fort Lauderdale	$46,000	520
Jacksonville	$35,000	370
West Palm Beach	$42,000	210
Orlando	$43,000	210
Pensacola	$34,000	190
Sarasota	$45,000	150
Deltona	$37,000	110
Naples	$42,000	90
Palm Bay	$34,000	80
Cape Coral	$39,000	80
Panama City	$33,000	70
Ocala	$34,000	60
Port St Lucie	$36,000	60
Fort Walton Beach	$37,000	50

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$39,000	1,220
Valdosta	$36,000	40

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$36,000	330

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$41,000	190
Lewiston	$32,000	80
Coeur Dalene	$28,000	40

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$42,000	3,210
Rockford	$37,000	120
Peoria	$38,000	70
Champaign	$39,000	70

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$43,000	450
Fort Wayne	$46,000	130
Evansville	$40,000	60
Anderson	$39,000	50
Elkhart	$28,000	40
Lafayette	$58,000	30

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Davenport		80
Sioux City	$40,000	30

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Topeka	$29,000	130
Wichita	$39,000	80

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$32,000	400
Lexington	$35,000	90

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$30,000	710
Shreveport	$32,000	120
Baton Rouge	$37,000	80
Houma	$25,000	50

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$49,000	80
Bangor	$58,000	70

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$40,000	970
Bethesda	$41,000	190
Salisbury	$40,000	40

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$41,000	2,170
Springfield	$39,000	950
Worcester	$37,000	420
Barnstable Town	$44,000	410
Taunton	$35,000	300
Brockton	$42,000	140
New Bedford	$38,000	90
Leominster	$37,000	80

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Detroit	$42,000	350
Grand Rapids	$45,000	230
Lansing	$55,000	130
Flint	$54,000	80
Battle Creek	$45,000	70

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$44,000	1,290
Duluth	$42,000	70

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Jackson	$47,000	110

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Kansas City	$39,000	550
St Louis	$40,000	460
Jefferson City	$41,000	70
St Joseph		70

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Missoula	$32,000	130
Great Falls	$36,000	30

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$42,000	340
Lincoln	$37,000	150

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$49,000	210
Reno	$56,000	110

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Manchester	$37,000	150

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Newark	$41,000	1,020
Edison	$41,000	580
Camden	$44,000	440
Trenton	$41,000	210
Vineland	$58,000	40

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$46,000	670
Santa Fe		40

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$36,000	4,740
Nassau	$36,000	810
Rochester	$42,000	460
Buffalo	$30,000	450
Albany	$45,000	260
Poughkeepsie		130
Syracuse	$39,000	90
Kingston	$50,000	60
Utica	$40,000	40
Ithaca	$34,000	40

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Raleigh	$41,000	510
Durham	$38,000	380
Charlotte	$40,000	260
Hickory	$44,000	260
Fayetteville	$37,000	140
Wilmington	$49,000	130
Greenville	$48,000	100
Asheville	$40,000	90
Greensboro	$43,000	50

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cleveland	$40,000	810
Youngstown	$45,000	620
Cincinnati	$41,000	610
Columbus	$45,000	530
Toledo	$47,000	300
Dayton	$47,000	290
Akron	$44,000	240
Canton	$41,000	110

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$42,000	330
Tulsa	$37,000	280
Lawton	$44,000	60

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$51,000	1,100
Eugene	$41,000	270
Salem	$49,000	80

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$37,000	4,980
Pittsburgh	$33,000	2,990
Scranton	$31,000	1,240
Allentown	$42,000	600
Harrisburg	$43,000	590
Erie	$36,000	550
Reading	$37,000	320
Lancaster	$39,000	310
York	$32,000	220
Johnstown	$32,000	120
Altoona		100
State College	$36,000	80
Williamsport	$35,000	60
Lebanon		30

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$36,000	800

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Columbia	$47,000	150
Charleston	$37,000	30

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$43,000	130
Rapid City	$34,000	40

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashville	$33,000	820
Memphis	$29,000	630
Knoxville	$27,000	100
Kingsport	$32,000	70

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Houston	$41,000	880
Austin	$39,000	330
Dallas	$41,000	280
San Antonio	$48,000	270
Corpus Christi	$34,000	220
El Paso	$30,000	130
Fort Worth	$39,000	130
College Station	$27,000	90
Abilene	$29,000	60
Longview	$35,000	50
Midland	$41,000	40
Texarkana	$57,000	40

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$47,000	370
Ogden	$44,000	130
Provo	$47,000	80

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Virginia Beach	$42,000	930
Richmond	$49,000	690
Roanoke	$37,000	250
Lynchburg	$34,000	230
Winchester	$43,000	180
Charlottesville	$40,000	80
Blacksburg	$50,000	40

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$41,000	1,910
Tacoma	$39,000	1,210
Yakima	$38,000	350
Bremerton	$37,000	150
Kennewick	$39,000	140
Bellingham	$42,000	90
Longview	$44,000	60

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Huntington	$35,000	180
Charleston	$38,000	160
Parkersburg	$34,000	70
Wheeling	$34,000	60
Morgantown	$29,000	30

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$38,000	610
Madison	$34,000	190
Oshkosh	$49,000	90
Appleton	$40,000	90
Green Bay	$48,000	60
Wausau	$48,000	30
Racine	$48,000	30

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$43,000	50

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