The average salary for a mental health counselor in California is around $59,250 per year.
Avg Salary
Mental health counselors earn an average yearly salary of $59,250.
Wages typically start from $44,640 and go up to $111,080.
15% below national average Updated in 2025
Mental health counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$53.40 per hour
$111,080 per year
Senior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$38.74 per hour
$80,570 per year
Mid-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$28.48 per hour
$59,250 per year
Junior-level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$22.91 per hour
$47,640 per year
Starting level mental health counselor earnings begin at:
$21.46 per hour
$44,640 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Mental health counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,770 |
| Oregon | $74,590 |
| New Mexico | $74,100 |
| Washington | $68,910 |
| North Dakota | $68,630 |
| Arizona | $65,300 |
| Rhode Island | $65,120 |
| Utah | $63,890 |
| Nebraska | $63,770 |
| Connecticut | $63,590 |
| Idaho | $63,360 |
| Wyoming | $62,980 |
| New Jersey | $62,820 |
| Texas | $62,630 |
| Colorado | $62,390 |
| Wisconsin | $62,220 |
| Vermont | $61,810 |
| Michigan | $61,690 |
| Iowa | $60,880 |
| Illinois | $60,730 |
| District of Columbia | $60,450 |
| Hawaii | $60,090 |
| Maine | $59,970 |
| Massachusetts | $59,890 |
| Virginia | $59,880 |
| Maryland | $59,530 |
| Kansas | $59,470 |
| New York | $59,450 |
| Oklahoma | $59,350 |
| California | $59,250 |
| Montana | $59,000 |
| Georgia | $58,960 |
| Minnesota | $58,780 |
| Ohio | $58,360 |
| Nevada | $57,210 |
| Missouri | $56,910 |
| Florida | $56,790 |
| Delaware | $56,020 |
| North Carolina | $55,490 |
| New Hampshire | $54,840 |
| Kentucky | $54,190 |
| Indiana | $53,760 |
| South Dakota | $53,650 |
| South Carolina | $52,370 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,010 |
| Arkansas | $51,580 |
| Tennessee | $49,580 |
| West Virginia | $49,430 |
| Alabama | $47,310 |
| Mississippi | $46,990 |
| Louisiana | $37,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,090 |
How do mental health counselor salaries compare to similar careers?
Mental health counselors earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than credit counselors but more than ophthalmic medical technicians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Credit counselor salary | $67K |
| Ophthalmic medical technologist salary | $60K |
| Surgical assistant salary | $60K |
| Neurodiagnostic technologist salary | $60K |
| Exercise physiologist salary | $62K |
| Mental health counselor salary | $59K |
| Drug & alcohol counselor salary | $59K |
| Medical records technician salary | $62K |
| Community health worker salary | $58K |
| Ophthalmic medical technician salary | $54K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)