Mental Health Counselor salary
From 1,013 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 21-1014: Mental Health Counselors
- Also filed as: Therapist
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 43% of Mental Health Counselor filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: GANDARA Mental HEALTH CENTER. 88 filings (9% of the total), median $58,500.
- Median up 32% since FY2020. From $53,000 in FY2020 to $70,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Mental Health Counselor H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 1,013 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Mental Health Counselor jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 21-1014, Mental Health Counselors). The median base salary is $67,250, 45% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $58,000 and $80,000. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 43% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (142), and GANDARA Mental HEALTH CENTER is the employer that files the most (88).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Mental Health Counselor
Employers with the most Mental Health Counselor filings. Bar: share of all Mental Health Counselor filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 26% of filings
Mid-level · 43% of filings
Senior · 17% of filings
Expert · 15% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $55,000 | 241 |
| Level II · Qualified | $63,000 | 402 |
| Level III · Experienced | $74,745 | 156 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $90,000 | 143 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Mental Health Counselor pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 18 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $75,832 | 142 |
| Boston, MA | $67,209 | 120 |
| Seattle, WA | $71,906 | 62 |
| Chicago, IL | $62,727 | 57 |
| Springfield, MA | $60,000 | 45 |
| San Jose, CA | $81,117 | 38 |
| Worcester, MA | $55,744 | 35 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $54,644 | 32 |
| Washington, DC | $73,070 | 29 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $71,365 | 24 |
| Dallas, TX | $61,360 | 21 |
| San Francisco, CA | $76,856 | 18 |
| Tulsa, OK | $70,500 | 14 |
| Columbus, OH | $65,000 | 13 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $63,000 | 13 |
| Portland, OR | $78,000 | 13 |
| Denver, CO | $57,560 | 12 |
| Houston, TX | $83,500 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Mental Health Counselor does
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.
Typical tasks
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Mental Health Counselors (21-1014.00). This section includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $51,000 |
| 25th | $58,000 |
| 50th (median) | $67,250 |
| 75th | $80,000 |
| 90th | $95,053 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $53,000 | $45,000 | $61,515 | 155 |
| FY2021 | $51,000 | $44,000 | $60,601 | 168 |
| FY2022 | $55,000 | $48,000 | $64,570 | 314 |
| FY2023 | $61,000 | $51,563 | $71,000 | 293 |
| FY2024 | $63,600 | $53,100 | $73,320 | 385 |
| FY2025 | $65,000 | $55,000 | $78,000 | 577 |
| FY2026 | $70,000 | $61,150 | $83,200 | 436 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Mental Health Counselor make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Mental Health Counselor jobs is $67,250 (1,013 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $58,000 and $80,000.
What does an entry-level Mental Health Counselor earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $55,000. Level I accounts for 26% of Mental Health Counselor filings.
Which city pays H-1B Mental Health Counselors the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, New York, NY has the highest median base salary for Mental Health Counselor jobs: $75,832 (142 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Mental Health Counselors?
GANDARA Mental HEALTH CENTER (88), Sea Mar Community Health Centers (35) and Holocene Acquisition II (28) filed the most Mental Health Counselor LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.