Licensed Mental Health Counselor salary: $61.15/hr$2,446/wk$127,192/yr median.
Pay range $50.00$2,000$104,000–$61.15/hr$2,446/wk$127,192/yr across the middle 50% of active Clinical Behavioral Health Professional postings nationwide.
81 unique employers · 113 cities · 42 states. Pay moved -18.2% over the last 30 days.
How Licensed Mental Health Counselor pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $37.50/hr$1,500/wk$78,000/yr. The top 10% pay above $81.00/hr$3,240/wk$168,480/yr.
How Licensed Mental Health Counselor pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $61.15 in Nov 2025 to $45.00 in Apr 2026 (-26.4%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | $61.15$2,446$127,192 | $61.15$2,446$127,192–$61.15$2,446$127,192 | 90 |
| Dec 2025 | $60.00$2,400$124,800 | $45.00$1,800$93,600–$81.00$3,240$168,480 | 41 |
| Jan 2026 | $61.15$2,446$127,192 | $61.15$2,446$127,192–$61.15$2,446$127,192 | 24 |
| Feb 2026 | $45.00$1,800$93,600 | $34.00$1,360$70,720–$52.50$2,100$109,200 | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | $55.00$2,200$114,400 | $42.50$1,700$88,400–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 35 |
| Apr 2026 | $45.00$1,800$93,600 | $35.50$1,420$73,840–$60.63$2,425$126,110 | 20 |
Licensed Mental Health Counselor pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 6 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
Where the top of the market is paying for Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| CommonSpirit Health | $35.50$1,420$73,840 | $34.00$1,360$70,720–$35.50$1,420$73,840 | 5 |
| Grow Therapy | $81.00$3,240$168,480 | $81.00$3,240$168,480–$84.50$3,380$175,760 | 10 |
| kaiser permanente | $61.15$2,446$127,192 | $48.22$1,929$100,298–$61.15$2,446$127,192 | 85 |
| Mind Body and Soul Counseling LLC | $43.50$1,740$90,480 | $43.50$1,740$90,480–$43.50$1,740$90,480 | 5 |
| Momentum Counseling and Consulting, LLC | $53.00$2,120$110,240 | $50.00$2,000$104,000–$53.00$2,120$110,240 | 11 |
| Unknown | $46.00$1,840$95,680 | $27.50$1,100$57,200–$75.00$3,000$156,000 | 7 |
Showing all 6 employers with live pay data.
How Licensed Mental Health Counselor pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Staff Position pays the most at $61.15/hr$2,446/wk$127,192/yr median — 22% above Contract at $50.00/hr$2,000/wk$104,000/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 85 active postings.
How to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Behavioral health professionals diagnose, treat, and support patients with mental health, substance use, and developmental conditions across outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, residential programs, and community settings. The category spans licensed therapists (LCSW, LMFT, LPC), psychologists, psychiatric nurses and NPs, applied behavior analysts (BCBAs), counselors, and technicians. Education and licensure differ sharply between roles, but every clinical title above the technician level requires a graduate degree plus supervised hours plus a state license.
Pick the role first; each has its own ladder. Therapists (LCSW/LPC/LMFT): bachelor's → 2-year master's → 2,000-4,000 supervised hours → state licensure exam. Psychologists: bachelor's → 5-7 year PhD/PsyD → APA internship → EPPP licensing exam → state license. Psychiatric NPs: BSN + RN license → PMHNP program → ANCC certification → state APRN license. BCBAs: bachelor's → MS ABA → BCBA exam → state license (where applicable). Behavioral technicians: HS diploma + RBT 40-hour training → RBT exam.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's in psychology, social work, or relatedBA / BS / BSW | 4 years | Required for entry to graduate behavioral health programs. Sufficient on its own for technician, case-management, and BA-level behavior tech roles. |
| Master of Social Work / Counseling / MFTMSW / MA / MS / MFT | 2-3 years | Standard entry credential for licensed therapists (LCSW, LPC/LMHC, LMFT). Includes supervised internship hours. |
| Master's in Applied Behavior AnalysisMS ABA | 2 years | Required for BCBA certification. Covers ABA principles, ethics, supervision, and applied research. |
| Doctorate in PsychologyPhD / PsyD | 5-7 years post-bachelor | Required to practice as a licensed psychologist. PhD is research-heavy; PsyD is clinically focused. Includes a year-long pre-doctoral internship. |
Required to practice independently as a therapist. Eligibility requires a qualifying master's degree, supervised clinical hours (typically 2,000-4,000), and passing the appropriate national exam (ASWB, NCMHCE, etc.).
Required to practice as a psychologist. Eligibility requires a doctorate from an APA-accredited program, completion of internship and postdoctoral hours, and passing the EPPP.
Required for behavior-analytic practice. Many states now require additional state licensure on top of BACB certification.
Required by most ABA agencies for paraprofessional staff. 40-hour training plus competency assessment plus exam.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty therapy certifications EMDR, CBT-I, DBT certification, etc. Modality-specific training (EMDR for trauma, DBT for personality disorders, CBT-I for insomnia, IFS, etc.). Important for private practice positioning and specialty caseloads. | Specialty trainers (EMDRIA, Linehan Institute, Beck Institute) | +5-15% |
| Substance-use credentials LADC / CADC / CSAC (varies by state) Substance-use disorder certification stacks on top of an existing license or stands alone in some states. | State boards | +5-10% |
| Forensic / school psychology specialization Specialty psychology certifications (ABPP, NCSP) Specialty board certification for psychologists. Required for school psychology in most states (NCSP); ABPP signals senior-level forensic, neuropsych, or clinical health expertise. | ABPP / NASP | +10-20% |
- 0-3 yearsBehavioral health technician / RBT / case manager
Entry-level paraprofessional roles. Provides direct support, runs ABA programs, or coordinates resources under a clinician's plan.
- 0-3 years (post-master's)Associate / pre-licensed clinician
LMSW / LPC-Associate / MFT-Associate. Practices under a supervisor while accumulating the 2,000-4,000 hours required for independent licensure.
- 3-7 yearsLicensed clinician
Independent license (LCSW, LPC, LMHC, LMFT) or BCBA. Holds an independent caseload across telehealth, clinic, or private practice.
- 7-12 yearsSenior clinician / clinical supervisor
Supervises associates and shares oversight of clinical quality. Often holds specialty modality certifications.
- 12+ yearsClinical director / Practice owner
Owns a private group practice or directs clinical operations for an agency, hospital service line, or community health program.
Schedule. Outpatient roles run business hours or include some evenings. Hospital and crisis roles run 24/7 with shift work. Telehealth practices offer the most flexibility. Caseloads typically range 20-30 clinical hours per week with the rest in documentation, supervision, and admin.
Physical demands. Largely cognitive and emotional rather than physical. Crisis and inpatient roles can require physical intervention training (CPI, Handle With Care).
Behavioral health is one of the fastest-growing healthcare segments. Therapist, substance-use counselor, and BCBA roles all show double-digit projected growth. Telehealth expansion, insurance parity enforcement, and post-pandemic mental health demand continue to outpace clinician supply across most regions.
What clinicians ask about Licensed Mental Health Counselor pay.
What is the average Licensed Mental Health Counselor salary in 2026?
The median Licensed Mental Health Counselor salary is $61.15/hr (approximately $127,192/yr) based on 215 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Licensed Mental Health Counselor?
Hourly pay ranges from $50.00 at the 25th percentile to $61.15 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $81.00/hr.
Which state pays Licensed Mental Health Counselor roles the most?
Alabama currently leads with a median of $60.28/hr across 0 postings.
How many employers are hiring Licensed Mental Health Counselors?
Our dataset shows 81 unique employers posting Licensed Mental Health Counselor roles across 42 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Licensed Mental Health Counselor salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 180-day window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Behavioral Health Professional tracks.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor sits inside the Clinical track. Here are sibling tracks across Behavioral Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 180-day window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.