LMHC Salary Guide 2023 – How Much Do Licensed Mental Health Counselors Earn?

By PsychologyJobs.com Staff Writer

Our career guides are produced by staff writers in conjunction with our expert career coaches.

An LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) is a mental health professional who provides counseling and therapy services to individuals, couples, and families to help them address and manage a range of emotional and mental health concerns. Learn more about becoming an LMHC.

The average annual salary for an LMHC is $47,660 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here is how an LMHCs salary will likely look over the lifetime of their career:

  • Less than 1 year of experience: $41,000 per year on average
  • 1-4 years of experience: $45,000 per year on average
  • 5-9 years of experience: $50,000 per year on average
  • 10-19 years of experience: $54,000 per year on average
  • 20 or more years of experience: $58,000 per year on average

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Which states pay the highest salaries for LMHCs?

  1. District of Columbia – $69,700
  2. Alaska – $67,930
  3. New Jersey – $66,010
  4. California – $65,820
  5. Connecticut – $64,440

Which cities pay the highest salaries for LMHCs?

  1. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA – $83,230
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA – $74,810
  3. Urban Honolulu, HI – $74,670
  4. Anchorage, AK – $72,500
  5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA – $72,300

How can you earn more as an LMHC?

Pursue additional training and education

Obtaining a specialized certification in a specific area of mental health counseling, such as substance abuse counseling, trauma-focused therapy, or play therapy, can increase your expertise in a particular area and make you more competitive for higher-paying jobs.

Pursuing an advanced degree, such as a master’s in counseling, master’s in counseling psychology, master’s in family counseling or a PhD in counseling psychology or a related field, can make you more competitive for leadership roles or higher-paying positions, such as a director of a mental health clinic or a professor of counseling.

Specialized training in evidence-based therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or mindfulness-based therapies can make you more competitive for positions that require expertise in these areas.

Consider working for a larger organization

Hospitals, universities, and government agencies may offer higher salaries and better benefits than private practices or smaller clinics.

For example; mental health counselors who work in hospitals earn a mean annual wage of $54,430, in colleges/universities $57,320 and government agencies $54,910, all of which are higher than the mean annual wage for all mental health counselors ($48,720).

How do LMHC salaries compare?

Licensed Mental Health Counselors follow a very similar educational and training path as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Addiction Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Professional Counselors so how do LMHC salaries compare to these roles?