SOC 21-1014.00Bright outlook

    Mental Health Counselors

    Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention.

    Median pay
    $59,350
    Growth
    +18.4%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    50,500
    Typical education
    Master's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $38,940
    Median
    $59,350
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $97,590
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    491,930 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Mental health counselors advise individuals and groups to support emotional well-being and prevent mental health crises. The median annual pay for this profession is $59,350, with opportunities expanding rapidly in the coming years.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What mental health counselors do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    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.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Mental health counselors focus on helping people navigate emotional, psychological, and behavioral challenges. On a daily basis, these professionals assist and care for others by establishing strong interpersonal relationships, gathering client information, and solving complex problems. They address issues ranging from stress management and self-esteem to substance abuse and marital difficulties. To do this effectively, they must think creatively and make sound decisions while documenting client progress and ensuring all services comply with established standards.

    This role is highly social and requires strong skills in active listening, social perceptiveness, speaking, and critical thinking. Counselors rely on their deep knowledge of psychology, therapy, counseling, and sociology to guide their sessions. Because they work directly with the public, they must possess specific work styles, including empathy, cooperation, sincerity, and high stress tolerance. Maintaining self-control and showing dependability are also vital when helping clients work through sensitive personal issues.

    How to get there

    Entering this field requires extensive preparation. Most professionals need a graduate degree, such as a master's degree, PhD, MD, or JD, with a master's degree being the typical level of education required to enter the occupation. Students generally pursue college majors in clinical, counseling, and applied psychology, or mental and social health services and allied professions.

    Depending on the location, some states list a license for this work. Additionally, professionals can pursue voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Certified Behavioral Health Specialist from National Performance Specialists and the Healthcare CPD Associate from the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professionals.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for this field was $59,350. The lowest 10% of earners made less than $38,940, while the highest 10% earned more than $97,590. These salary figures represent the broader BLS group of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.

    With 491,930 people employed, the field is growing rapidly. Employment is projected to change by 18.4% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than average. This growth is expected to result in 50,500 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    5 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    57 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    34 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    97 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    33 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    41 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    97
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    91
    Getting Information
    91
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    89
    Documenting/Recording Information
    88
    Thinking Creatively
    83
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    82
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    82
    Developing Objectives and Strategies
    80
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Writing
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Service Orientation
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Psychology
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Education and Training
    • Administrative
    • Telecommunications
    • Administration and Management
    • Philosophy and Theology

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Category Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Empathy
    • Cooperation
    • Sincerity
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Social Orientation
    • Optimism
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail

    Also called

    Behavior Analyst · Behavioral Health Clinician · Behavioral Health Consultant · Behavioral Health Counselor · Behavioral Health Therapist · Bereavement Counselor · BSS (Behavior Support Specialist) · Case Manager · Clinical Counselor · Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to mental health counselors

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Mental Health Counselors$59,350 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

      Prescott, AZ · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,898
      4 yrs after
      $82,023
      Median debt
      $24,529
    2. 2
      Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

      Daytona Beach, FL · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,898
      4 yrs after
      $82,023
      Median debt
      $24,529
    3. 3University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,054
      4 yrs after
      $76,395
      Median debt
      $13,021
    4. 4Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $53,507
      4 yrs after
      $76,328
      Median debt
      $19,000
    5. 5CUNY Bernard M Baruch College logo
      CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

      New York, NY · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $49,776
      4 yrs after
      $73,007
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6Pace University logo
      Pace University

      New York, NY · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $44,580
      4 yrs after
      $67,811
      Median debt
      $23,500
    7. 7James Madison University logo
      James Madison University

      Harrisonburg, VA · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $38,321
      4 yrs after
      $67,033
      Median debt
      $19,500
    8. 8Texas A & M University-College Station logo
      Texas A & M University-College Station

      College Station, TX · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $39,804
      4 yrs after
      $66,865
      Median debt
      $16,500

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What mental health counselors may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
    • Clinical/Medical Social Work
    • Counseling Psychology
    • Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
    • Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
    • Trauma Counseling

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    51 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about mental health counselors

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this profession are also called behavioral health clinicians, clinical counselors, bereavement counselors, and case managers. Other common titles include behavioral health therapists and behavior support specialists.

    What college majors are most relevant to this field?

    Students typically major in clinical, counseling, and applied psychology. Another common major that leads to this career is mental and social health services and allied professions.

    What is the projected job growth for mental health counselors?

    Employment is projected to grow by 18.4% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This expansion will generate about 50,500 job openings each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 6, 2026.