Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

21-1014 Mental Health Counselors

Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. May help individuals deal with issues associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. Excludes "Social Workers" (21-1021 through 21-1029), "Psychiatrists" (29-1066), and "Psychologists" (19-3031 through 19-3039).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
114,180 1.5 % $20.48 $42,590 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.94 $14.88 $18.84 $24.46 $31.57
Annual Wage (2) $24,840 $30,950 $39,190 $50,870 $65,660


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 22,520 3.68 $20.15 $41,920
Individual and Family Services 21,150 1.69 $20.27 $42,160
Residential Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 20,140 3.52 $16.18 $33,640
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,580 0.17 $24.62 $51,200
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 7,920 1.15 $23.20 $48,260

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 22,520 3.68 $20.15 $41,920
Residential Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 20,140 3.52 $16.18 $33,640
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 6,290 2.68 $21.25 $44,210
Other Residential Care Facilities 2,750 1.74 $17.63 $36,670
Individual and Family Services 21,150 1.69 $20.27 $42,160

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Insurance Carriers 40 (7) $29.85 $62,100
State Government (OES Designation) 2,460 0.11 $26.92 $55,990
Facilities Support Services 70 0.05 $25.28 $52,580
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,580 0.17 $24.62 $51,200
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 290 0.13 $23.92 $49,760


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pennsylvania 15,380 2.77 3.11 $18.92 $39,360
California 8,610 0.61 0.69 $23.42 $48,710
Virginia 7,390 2.08 2.34 $21.31 $44,330
Massachusetts 6,120 1.94 2.18 $20.99 $43,670
New York 6,070 0.72 0.81 $19.17 $39,860




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pennsylvania 15,380 2.77 3.11 $18.92 $39,360
Virginia 7,390 2.08 2.34 $21.31 $44,330
Vermont 600 2.08 2.33 $19.59 $40,750
Massachusetts 6,120 1.94 2.18 $20.99 $43,670
Montana 750 1.76 1.97 $15.47 $32,170




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 510 1.61 1.81 $26.48 $55,080
Nevada 480 0.43 0.48 $24.83 $51,640
Arkansas 670 0.59 0.66 $24.59 $51,150
Wyoming 240 0.88 0.99 $24.06 $50,030
Oregon 2,350 1.48 1.66 $23.98 $49,880





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 6,460 3.56 4.00 $17.90 $37,220
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 4,380 1.22 1.37 $20.36 $42,350
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,860 0.76 0.86 $20.57 $42,790
Pittsburgh, PA 2,830 2.54 2.85 $19.91 $41,420
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,470 1.07 1.20 $25.56 $53,160
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,240 1.33 1.50 $20.61 $42,870
Richmond, VA 1,950 3.32 3.73 $17.50 $36,410
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,820 0.48 0.53 $23.59 $49,070
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,750 1.02 1.15 $21.93 $45,620
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 1,700 1.24 1.39 $21.57 $44,870




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Johnstown, PA 330 5.81 6.52 $18.72 $38,940
Waterbury, CT 280 4.47 5.02 $18.88 $39,280
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 330 3.70 4.15 $16.94 $35,240
New Bedford, MA 230 3.66 4.11 $26.07 $54,220
Pittsfield, MA 120 3.57 4.01 (8) (8)
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 6,460 3.56 4.00 $17.90 $37,220
Lynchburg, VA 340 3.44 3.87 $17.16 $35,700
Worcester, MA-CT 820 3.41 3.83 $22.67 $47,160
Richmond, VA 1,950 3.32 3.73 $17.50 $36,410
Asheville, NC 550 3.27 3.67 $19.40 $40,350




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division 260 0.38 0.43 $32.50 $67,600
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 30 0.15 0.17 $29.21 $60,760
Salem, OR 120 0.87 0.98 $28.99 $60,310
Anchorage, AK 260 1.56 1.75 $28.57 $59,420
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 60 0.34 0.38 $27.97 $58,180
Bloomington, IN (8) (8) (8) $27.63 $57,460
Lawton, OK 30 0.76 0.85 $27.47 $57,130
Fairbanks, AK 40 1.06 1.20 $27.11 $56,380
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 270 0.74 0.83 $26.79 $55,710
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 70 0.25 0.28 $26.61 $55,340

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 670 4.14 4.65 $18.06 $37,570
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 550 2.33 2.62 $20.29 $42,200
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 460 2.86 3.21 $18.35 $38,170
Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 390 2.23 2.50 $20.60 $42,840
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 370 3.20 3.60 $15.01 $31,220

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area 310 4.61 5.18 $16.52 $34,360
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 670 4.14 4.65 $18.06 $37,570
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 3.78 4.25 $22.25 $46,280
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 100 3.55 3.99 $24.76 $51,500
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 370 3.20 3.60 $15.01 $31,220

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.36 0.41 $29.95 $62,290
Northern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 40 0.58 0.66 $27.07 $56,310
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 140 0.36 0.40 $26.85 $55,850
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.96 1.07 $26.49 $55,100
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.56 0.63 $26.08 $54,260


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012