Mental health counselors

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

111k

Average Age

41.4

Average Salary

$46,460

Average Male Salary

$49,151

Average Female Salary

$45,623

About

Mental health counselors are most often employed by the Outpatient care centers industry. The average yearly wage for Mental health counselors was $46,460 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Mental health counselors by wage are Miscellaneous transportation workers, including bridge & lock tenders & traffic technicians, Welding, soldering, & brazing workers, and Forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.

Mental health counselors are part of the Community & Social Service Occupations, along with Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, Marriage and family therapists, Mental health counselors, Rehabilitation counselors, and 11 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Mental health counselors are Berea, Brook Park, Lakewood & Rocky River Cities PUMA, OH, Springfield City PUMA, MA, and Iowa City PUMA, IA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Mental health counselors are Springfield City PUMA, MA, Berea, Brook Park, Lakewood & Rocky River Cities PUMA, OH, and Forest Hills & Rego Park PUMA, NY.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Community & Social Service Occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Mental health counselors and on wages and locations for those in the field. Outpatient care centers is the industry that employs the most Mental health counselors, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Mental health counselors, by average wage, is Executive offices & legislative bodies. Mental health counselors are paid most in Between Loop TX-1604 & Loop I-410 PUMA, TX (79500US4805910) but are relatively concentrated in Springfield City PUMA, MA.

Wages

Yearly Wage

$46,460

AVERAGE SALARY

± $2,363

In 2020, Mental health counselors earned an average of $46,460, $9,493 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Miscellaneous transportation workers, including bridge & lock tenders & traffic technicians make somewhat more than Mental health counselors while Forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Mental health counselors as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.314

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Mental health counselors had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.314, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Mental health counselors (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Mental health counselors.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Mental health counselors

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Mental health counselors.

Industries

Most Common

The most common industries employing Mental health counselors, by number of employees, are Outpatient care centers, Individual & family services, Elementary & secondary schools, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities, Administration of human resource programs, Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, Justice, public order, & safety activities , Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services, and Offices of other health practitioners.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Mental health counselors, by average wage, are Executive offices & legislative bodies, National security & international affairs, and Insurance carriers.

Industries by Share

111k

2020 Workforce

± 8,173

13.8%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.47%

The number of people employed as Mental health counselors has been growing at a rate of 13.8%, from 97,446 people in 2019 to 110,902 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Mental health counselors employed by various industries. Outpatient care centers employs the largest share of Mental health counselors at 40.3%, followed by Individual & family services with 15.7% and Elementary & secondary schools with 10.3%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Mental health counselors in the US. The average age of male Mental health counselors in the workforce is 44.4 and of female Mental health counselors is 40.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Mental health counselors is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

26.3k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 3,983

84.6k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 7,138

76.3% of Mental health counselors are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Mental health counselors.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Mental health counselors

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

61.7% of Mental health counselors are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 18.6% of Mental health counselors, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Mental health counselors.

Age by Sex

44.4

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 2.13

40.4

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 1.06

The median age of Mental health counselors is 41.4, and Male employees are generally 4 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Mental health counselors from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Mental health counselors is Psychology but a relatively high number of Mental health counselors hold a major in Psychology.