Mental Health Counselors
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention.
About the profession
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.
How to Get Started
Take a personality test to see if Mental Health Counselors fits your profile
Career Match Test →Explore the Career Path section to see progression from junior to senior
Jump to Career Path →Start learning — check the Learning Path for free courses
Jump to Learning Path →Personality Fit
Based on the Mental Health Counselors role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Social
Helping, teaching, working with people
Investigative
Research, analysis, problem-solving
Conventional
Organizing, detail-oriented, structured
Not sure if these types match you? Take the full RIASEC assessment (12-15 min) to discover your personality profile and see how it aligns with hundreds of careers.
Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Resident/Fellow Mental Health Counselor → Practitioner Mental Health Counselor → Senior Mental Health Counselor → Department Lead Mental Health Counselor
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
91K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $35,573 - $49,320/year With equity/bonuses: $39,130 - $59,184 Top markets (SF/NYC): $40,909 - $59,184 Execute core tasks using Active Listening…
Skills used in this career
Click any skill to see how to learn it and what salary boost it gives
Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
9am, Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment. 10am, Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $24,901 - $44,388 Year 2-3: Junior level $49,320 - $59,914 Year 4-6: Mid level $59,914 - $64,959 Year 7-10: Senior level $64,959 - $80,654 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions, answer honestly
You find the craft of a Mental Health Counselor genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Active Listening and Social Perceptiveness You communicate…
💰 Salary Range
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Related Reading
Related Holland / RIASEC Types