How much do therapists make?
Answer
There is no single therapist salary: BLS publishes pay for each type. Medians range from $59,350 to $100,580 a year (May 2025).
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $100,580 | $55,170 | $180,960 | 75,990 | Doctoral or professional degree | +11.7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | $67,880 | $46,220 | $100,360 | 187,630 | Master's degree | +8.5% |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $66,940 | $44,650 | $123,730 | 66,740 | Master's degree | +13.5% |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $60,280 | $39,740 | $104,170 | 132,810 | Master's degree | +10.3% |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $59,550 | $42,280 | $95,530 | 392,550 | Bachelor's degree | +4.4% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $59,350 | $38,940 | $97,590 | 491,930 | Master's degree | +18.4% |
BLS OEWS, May 2025 (released April 30, 2026); typical education and growth from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
How the types of therapist compare
The main therapist professions differ mostly in training length and in what they focus on. Mental health and substance abuse counselors are the largest group, with 491,930 jobs and a median of $59,350, and usually need a master's in counseling plus supervised hours for a license. Marriage and family therapists (66,740 jobs, median $66,940, see our marriage and family therapist page) also hold a master's but are trained to treat problems within couples and families.
Social workers come from a Master of Social Work. Clinical social workers do therapy, while many others handle case management. BLS counts them in three groups. Healthcare social workers, with 187,630 jobs, have a median of $67,880, the highest of the three; mental health and substance abuse social workers, with 132,810 jobs, have a median of $60,280, and child, family and school social workers, with 392,550 jobs, have a median of $59,550, the lowest.
Clinical and counseling psychologists (75,990 jobs, median $100,580, see our psychologist page) need a PhD or PsyD, usually 5 or more years beyond a bachelor's, plus an internship. They do therapy but also psychological testing and research, which helps explain the higher pay. For most people who want to do therapy, the counseling, MFT and MSW routes reach a license years sooner.
Therapist salary by state
Median annual pay by type
| Alabama | $47,310 | $49,990 | $90,800 | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,770 | $60,010 | $124,270 | — | — | — |
| Arizona | $65,300 | $65,290 | $119,010 | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | $51,580 | $64,340 | $77,520 | — | — | — |
| California | $59,250 | $67,300 | $116,000 | — | — | — |
| Colorado | $62,390 | $60,700 | $113,290 | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | $63,590 | $86,250 | — | — | — | — |
| Delaware | $56,020 | $76,580 | $113,050 | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | $60,450 | — | $107,000 | — | — | — |
| Florida | $56,790 | $56,400 | $85,610 | — | — | — |
| Georgia | $58,960 | $91,550 | $96,060 | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | $60,090 | $141,960 | $117,860 | — | — | — |
| Idaho | $63,360 | $62,700 | $97,790 | — | — | — |
| Illinois | $60,730 | $60,970 | $83,750 | — | — | — |
| Indiana | $53,760 | $56,810 | $84,990 | — | — | — |
| Iowa | $60,880 | $67,180 | $91,690 | — | — | — |
| Kansas | $59,470 | $68,710 | $76,690 | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | $54,190 | $52,420 | $99,140 | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | $37,910 | — | $71,330 | — | — | — |
| Maine | $59,970 | $71,680 | — | — | — | — |
| Maryland | $59,530 | $69,900 | — | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | $59,890 | $67,370 | $115,180 | — | — | — |
| Michigan | $61,690 | $52,270 | $84,730 | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | $58,780 | $72,470 | $107,030 | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | $46,990 | $51,440 | $76,000 | — | — | — |
| Missouri | $56,910 | $60,440 | $99,410 | — | — | — |
| Montana | $59,000 | $46,960 | $68,160 | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | $63,770 | $62,610 | $94,540 | — | — | — |
| Nevada | $57,210 | — | $102,650 | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | $54,840 | $60,030 | $64,270 | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | $62,820 | $92,150 | $127,090 | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | $74,100 | $70,630 | $124,800 | — | — | — |
| New York | $59,450 | $64,430 | $114,400 | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | $55,490 | $48,100 | $92,130 | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | $68,630 | — | $116,130 | — | — | — |
| Ohio | $58,360 | $70,240 | $101,190 | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | $59,350 | $57,670 | $79,950 | — | — | — |
| Oregon | $74,590 | $91,520 | $134,350 | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | $52,010 | $66,040 | $91,870 | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | $65,120 | — | $107,490 | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | $52,370 | $55,430 | $92,700 | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | $53,650 | $44,870 | $80,130 | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | $49,580 | $46,700 | $76,820 | — | — | — |
| Texas | $62,630 | $46,300 | $83,660 | — | — | — |
| Utah | $63,890 | $84,980 | $99,170 | — | — | — |
| Vermont | $61,810 | $62,780 | $83,270 | — | — | — |
| Virginia | $59,880 | $79,900 | $86,520 | — | — | — |
| Washington | $68,910 | $60,000 | $115,240 | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | $49,430 | $55,700 | $77,040 | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | $62,220 | $37,870 | $113,360 | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | $62,980 | — | $89,890 | — | — | — |
Median annual pay by state, BLS OEWS, May 2025. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. Each occupation’s own page has its full state table with cost-of-living-adjusted pay.
What therapists do
"Therapist" is not one licensed job but a label used by several professions that provide talk therapy. The people a client sees as "my therapist" are usually licensed professional counselors or mental health counselors (LPC, LMHC), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW) or psychologists. All of them assess clients, diagnose mental health conditions, build treatment plans and meet with individuals, couples, families or groups to work on depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, grief and relationship problems.
Therapists work in community mental health centers, outpatient clinics, hospitals, substance use programs, schools, government agencies and private practice, and many now see some clients by video. Sessions are typically scheduled back to back, with progress notes, insurance paperwork and treatment-plan updates filling the gaps. Some evening hours are common, because clients come after work or school. The work carries real emotional weight: therapists respond to crises, assess suicide risk and hear difficult stories every day, so regular supervision and their own self-care matter.
A typical day
- Hold 45- to 60-minute sessions with individuals, couples, families or groups
- Run intake interviews to learn a new client's history, symptoms and goals
- Screen for suicide or safety risk and make a crisis plan when needed
- Teach coping skills such as challenging negative thoughts or managing panic
- Write progress notes and treatment plans that meet insurance and legal rules
- Coordinate with psychiatrists, doctors, schools or probation officers when the client agrees
- Meet with a clinical supervisor or consult with colleagues on difficult cases
Also called: therapists, counselor, mental health therapist, behavior analyst, behavioral health counselor, case manager, clinician, licensed mental health counselor (lmhc).
How to become a therapist
Full guideTo become a licensed therapist, you usually earn a bachelor's degree, complete a 2- to 3-year master's degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy or social work, pass a national licensing exam, and finish about 2 years of supervised practice before an independent license. Plan on 8-9 years after high school; psychologists need a doctorate and take longer.
- Typical time
- 8-9 years
- Fastest: About 7 years
- Minimum education
- Master's degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work (doctorate for psychologists)
- License
- Required in all 50 states for independent practice (license title and rules vary by profession and state)
- Typical training cost
- $45.6K–$52.0K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a therapist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 8-9 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $45.6K–$52.0K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $59,350
- $8,370 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 77–88%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($8,370 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 5.4–6.2 years after training ends (8-9 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for therapists
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +18.4%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 533,400
- 631,400 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 50,500
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 5.4%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects jobs for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors to grow 18.4% from 2025 to 2035, from 533,400 to 631,400, far faster than the 3.5% for all occupations, with about 50,500 openings a year. BLS points to more people, including young people, seeking treatment for mental health and behavioral disorders, continuing demand for addiction treatment, especially for opioid use disorder, and courts increasingly sending people with substance use problems to counseling instead of jail.
Outlook shown for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors; each type’s growth is in the table at the top.
Related careers and their pay
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Psychologist$100,580
- Registered Nurse$97,550
- Psychiatrist$281,870
- Occupational Therapist$100,330
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Therapist salary FAQ
Do therapists make more in private practice?
They can, but it is not guaranteed. Private practice therapists keep the session fee minus expenses such as rent, insurance, billing and records software, and they are paid only for sessions held. Our data on salaries covers employees, not self-employed therapists, who make up about 5.4% of counselors. A full private caseload usually requires an independent license and years of experience, and many therapists combine agency work with a small practice.
Is there a shortage of therapists?
BLS projects counselor jobs to grow 18.4% between 2025 and 2035, more than five times the 3.5% average, with about 50,500 openings a year. That reflects strong demand for mental health and addiction treatment. Growth also means more competition among employers for licensed therapists, which is one reason many agencies hire new graduates and supervise them toward a full license.
Why do psychologists earn more than counselors?
Mostly because of training and scope. Clinical and counseling psychologists have a median of $100,580, while mental health counselors have a median of $59,350, about 40% less. Psychologists need a doctorate and an internship, which takes years longer, and they can do formal psychological testing and assessment that counselors generally cannot.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 21-1018
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (21-1014.00, 21-1011.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Marriage and Family Therapists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- For Students, Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) · checked October 28, 2026
- About COAMFTE, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education · checked October 28, 2026
- Prepare for Your Education, Council on Social Work Education · checked October 28, 2026
- NCMHCE, National Board for Certified Counselors · checked October 28, 2026
- Exam Information, Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards · checked October 28, 2026
- Getting ready for the exam, Association of Social Work Boards · checked October 28, 2026
- Social Workers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Psychologists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
- Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards · checked October 28, 2026
- 2024 CACREP Standards, Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.