The highest-paying states for mental health counselors (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of mental health counselors in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $63,900, Alaska is the highest paying state for mental health counselors. It is followed by Wyoming (average annual salary $55,900). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of mental health counselors in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $63,900 |
$42,310 | 650 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $55,900 |
$39,810 | 320 |
| 3 | Utah | $55,150 |
$32,130 | 1,210 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $52,790 |
$28,840 | 70 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $51,690 |
$37,030 | 770 |
| 6 | Maine | $50,720 |
$31,670 | 290 |
| 7 | Oregon | $50,340 |
$32,810 | 2,720 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $50,210 |
$34,630 | 4,790 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $48,410 |
$30,780 | 2,090 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $48,230 |
$29,120 | 2,280 |
| 11 | Idaho | $48,010 |
$21,770 | 1,080 |
| 12 | Arizona | $46,800 |
$22,530 | 1,110 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $46,580 |
$33,310 | 4,140 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $46,530 |
$33,420 | 4,000 |
| 15 | Michigan | $46,390 |
$29,090 | 2,580 |
| 16 | Colorado | $46,370 |
$28,580 | 5,100 |
| 17 | Nevada | $46,190 |
$28,160 | 680 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $45,620 |
$32,490 | 940 |
| 19 | Virginia | $45,260 |
$30,700 | 8,980 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $44,760 |
$29,960 | 950 |
| 21 | Washington | $44,400 |
$29,290 | 4,050 |
| 22 | Ohio | $44,130 |
$31,810 | 4,750 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $43,980 |
$21,330 | 2,550 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $43,090 |
$21,850 | 930 |
| 25 | Florida | $42,930 |
$26,610 | 3,990 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $42,440 |
$29,600 | 450 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $42,270 |
$28,230 | 940 |
| 28 | Georgia | $41,610 |
$28,180 | 2,550 |
| 29 | Texas | $41,560 |
$26,720 | 4,850 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $41,160 |
$27,350 | 13,020 |
| 31 | Kansas | $40,970 |
$27,170 | 630 |
| 32 | Alabama | $40,890 |
$28,690 | 970 |
| 33 | California | $40,710 |
$25,740 | 15,300 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $40,590 |
$25,810 | 290 |
| 35 | Indiana | $40,420 |
$25,530 | 2,210 |
| 36 | Maryland | $40,230 |
$23,620 | 2,390 |
| 37 | Delaware | $40,040 |
$25,620 | 450 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $39,880 |
$27,130 | 6,830 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $39,790 |
$25,910 | 2,140 |
| 40 | Iowa | $39,350 |
$24,940 | 1,470 |
| 41 | Missouri | $39,200 |
$24,930 | 2,860 |
| 42 | Illinois | $38,500 |
$24,160 | 5,150 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $38,410 |
$24,980 | 770 |
| 44 | New York | $38,030 |
$25,200 | 6,970 |
| 45 | Vermont | $37,660 |
$27,940 | 670 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $37,400 |
$21,380 | 1,110 |
| 47 | Montana | $37,080 |
$25,690 | 1,030 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $35,380 |
$21,480 | 2,310 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $32,390 |
$18,990 | 670 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $31,360 |
$22,660 | 2,470 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $29,660 |
$25,510 | 300 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $24,090 |
$17,030 | 120 |