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Mental Health Counselors

Typical education: Master's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $59,350 Median per year · $28.53/hr Most earn $38,940–$97,590

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting clients or patients.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs on clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
  • Plan or conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health or counseling services.
  • Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
  • Monitor clients' use of medications.
  • Discuss with individual patients their plans for life after leaving therapy.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
18% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 50,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't break this career out by industry.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Mental health counseling is not usually an entry-level job. Most people need a master's degree and about 1 to 2 years of related work experience before they start, so the full path often takes 7 to 9 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or a related field

    4 years

    You learn how people think, feel, and behave, and you can start getting experience through volunteering or part-time work alongside your studies.

  2. Social and Human Service Assistant

    1-2 years

    You help clients connect with services and support, which gives you real-world experience with people facing mental health and life challenges.

  3. Master's degree in clinical mental health counseling or a related counseling field

    2-3 years

    You study counseling methods, mental health diagnosis, and ethics, and complete supervised clinical hours that prepare you for licensure.

  4. Mental Health Counselor

    Ongoing

    You counsel individuals and groups, focusing on prevention and helping people manage issues like stress, addiction, family problems, and self-esteem. Most states require a license, which usually involves supervised work hours and an exam.

Where it can lead

  1. Clinical and Counseling Psychologist

    2-4 years of experience first

    With a doctoral degree and licensure, you can take on more complex cases, do research, or teach, and you may focus on assessment and testing.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology or sociologyThese classes introduce how people think and behave, and they show you whether this topic keeps your interest.
  • Take English and speech classesCounselors spend their days listening, writing notes, and explaining things clearly, so strong communication skills matter a lot.
  • Volunteer with a peer support or mentoring programHelping younger students or peers builds listening skills and gives you a real sense of what supporting others feels like.
  • Join a debate, drama, or student leadership clubThese activities help you practice speaking, understanding different viewpoints, and staying calm under pressure.
  • Get a part-time job that involves peopleWorking in a store, café, or front desk teaches patience, teamwork, and how to handle difficult conversations.

In college

  • Major in psychology, social work, or a related fieldThis is the most common undergraduate path toward graduate counseling programs and gives you the foundation for the master's degree.
  • Work or volunteer at a crisis line, shelter, or community mental health organizationHands-on work with clients builds the experience that counseling programs and employers look for.
  • Take courses in statistics or research methodsMany counseling programs require you to read research, and understanding data helps you judge what treatments actually work.
  • Join a psychology or counseling student clubClubs often bring in guest speakers, offer networking, and help you learn about graduate school options.
  • Get a Social and Human Service Assistant or similar jobStarting in this kind of role during or after college gives you paid experience working with clients before you go to graduate school.

Tips for getting started

  • Get experience with people early. Volunteering at a crisis line, youth program, or community center will show you whether this work fits you, and it will help when you apply to graduate programs.
  • Ask a working counselor for a short informational interview. Ask what their days look like and what training they wish they'd had.
  • Look up the requirements for licensure in your state early, since they affect which master's programs and supervised hours you need.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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