Mental Health Counselors

SOC 21-1014

The median annual wage for Mental Health Counselors is $177,907, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $175,981, and an estimated 41,056 workers are employed in this occupation nationally.

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$97,848

25th Pct

$133,430

Median

$177,907

75th Pct

$231,279

90th Pct

$293,546

H-1B Employer Filings

Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.

The average H-1B median wage for this occupation is $71,931 — 59.6% below the OEWS national median of $177,907. H-1B certified wages trail the broader market median for this role.
H-1B employer filings for Mental Health Counselors, DOL LCA data.
Employer State Filings Median Wage
Sea Mar Community Health Centers WA 7 $65,146
Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. CA 3 $74,880
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Inc. MA 3 $65,000
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MI 2 $69,045
Advocates, Inc. MA 2 $75,000
Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) WA 2 $84,084
Center for Children, Inc. MD 2 $70,000
Whole Valley Therapy, PLLC WA 2 $80,756
Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc. OK 2 $70,507
One Common Unity Inc. DC 2 $66,198
Purdue University IN 2 $71,000
GANDARA Mental HEALTH CENTER Inc MA 2 $53,000
OMNI Health Services, Inc. PA 2 $40,000
Lake Washington Institute of Technology WA 1 $79,504
TRANSCEND COUNSELING CHICAGO LLC IL 1 $67,000
Gotham Children Licensed Behavior Analysts PC NY 1 $145,600
Texas A&M University-Commerce TX 1 $51,900
Suffolk University MA 1 $87,000
Intuitive Mental Health Counseling Psychotherapy Practice, PC NY 1 $71,000
Sasco River Center C, LLC CT 1 $52,000

Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.

Related Occupations in Community & Social Service

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

Social Workers, All Other $63,770 Healthcare Social Workers $62,940 Health Education Specialists $62,860 Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists $61,800 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $61,710 Clergy $58,920 Marriage and Family Therapists $58,510 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers $55,960
All Community & Social Service occupations →
Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers