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Occupation Profile
Mental Health Counselors

What do 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.
Typical interests of people in this field:
Social, Investigative

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What does this information tell me?

This description can give you a quick overview of what you might do if you worked in this job.

“Typical interests of people in this field” shows the main types of interests related to this occupation, based on categories from the Interest Assessment. You’ll see one, two, or three “interest types” that are strongest for the occupation.

You can read more about these interest types and learn more about your own interests by taking the Interest Assessment.

You can use this information to see if this career might be a good match for what you are interested in and like to do. 

What is the source of this information?

The occupation description and the related interests come from O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

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Also known as

  • Behavior Analyst
  • Behavior Support Specialist (BSS)
  • Case Manager
  • Clinician
  • Counselor
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • Mental Health Counselor
  • Mental Health Program Specialist
  • Mental Health Specialist
  • Mental Health Therapist
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What does this information tell me?

This is a list of other names for the occupation you selected. Sometimes different employers, industries, or parts of the country use different names for the same career.

You can use these names as substitutes for the career name when you’re looking for more information online or searching for job postings.

What is the source of this information?

These alternate titles come from O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

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Career video

https://reentry.careeronestop.org/CDN/OccVids/OccupationVideos/21-1011.00.mp4
Transcript:Individuals struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse often need focused help to recover their well-being, and make changes in behavior that will improve their lives. Counselors offer the treatment and support that helps people recover. Substance abuse counselors and behavioral disorder counselors, teach clients how to cope with life’s problems without turning to substances, modify problem behaviors, help them rebuild relationships and, if necessary, reestablish their career. Mental health counselors treat clients with a variety of mental and emotional health issues and relationship problems. They may specialize in a population such as students, children, or the elderly. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work in a wide variety of settings, including mental health centers and hospitals, prisons, and addiction or eating disorder treatment centers. Although rewarding, the work can be stressful, with large workloads, and often limited resources. They also may have to intervene in crisis situations or work with disturbed clients. Most counselors work full time. In some settings, they may need to work evenings, nights, or weekends. All states require mental health counselors to be licensed, which requires a master’s degree, internship, and a period of professionally supervised practice. For substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor positions, educational requirements can vary from a high school diploma and certification to a master’s degree. Licensure requirements vary by state and position, though all who work in private practice must be licensed.
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What does this information tell me?

This career video gives more information about the career you selected.

You can view the complete video script by clicking “View Transcript” above.

This video is one of hundreds of downloadable career videos in CareerOneStop’s Video Library.

What is the source of this information?

These career videos were produced by CareerOneStop (newer videos) or by a national video consortium, which includes many state workforce agencies. Data and information the videos are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

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How much does it pay?

Hourly wages for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors* in United States


Wage Chart for Occupation
$21.44 $33.71


Wage Chart legend for lowest 25 percent
  One out of four earn less than $21.44
Wage Chart legend for middle 50 percent
  Half earn between $21.44 and $33.71
Wage Chart legend for highest 25 percent
  One out of four earn more than $33.71

* You’re seeing wage information for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors because we don’t have information for Mental Health Counselors.

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What does this information tell me?

This chart shows you a range of how much most workers in this occupation earn per hour, in the location that you selected.

The lower rate on the left shows what 25 percent of all workers in this field earn less than, and 75 percent earn more than. If you are just starting out, you can assume you might make closer to this amount than the higher amount, although this is not necessarily a “starting wage.” Often workers with more experience and training earn wages at the higher end.

You can learn more about wages for this and other occupations by clicking “See more wages” above.

What is the source of this information?

The wage information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program, a semi-annual survey that provides wage and employment statistics for the nation, each state, and sub-state regions.

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Will there be jobs?

Image. Employment outlook for this occupation
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

This occupation is:
  • Expected to grow much faster than average


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What does this information tell me?

Outlook information can tell you whether a career is expected to be in demand in the future—that is, whether there are likely to be job openings if you choose this career. Please note that this does not account for the impacts of the current pandemic. Many occupations are likely to have very different outlooks due to the rapidly changing economy. When new outlook information is developed, it will be reflected here.

Careers can have one of three outlooks:

  • A Bright outlook means new job opportunities are very likely in the future
  • An Average outlook means that a small number of new job opportunities are likely in the future (less than an 8 percent increase)
  • A Below average outlook means new job opportunities are less likely in the future

You can also view local job listings in this field by clicking "Find job openings" above. This can help you see if local businesses are hiring—another way of looking at demand.

What is the source of this information?

This information comes from O*NET Bright Outlook occupations and My Next Move career outlook designations (based on Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2022-32). It is only available at a national level, so even if you selected a state, you’ll only see this information for the whole country.

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How much education do you need?

Typical education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree
Chart. Percent of workers in this field by education level attained

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What does this information tell me?

There are two pieces of information here:

  • The first sentence tells you the typical level of education that you would need to start in this career. You can use this to see if you have, or want to get, the education level usually needed for this career.
  • The chart shows you the range of education levels that people who currently work in this field have. You can use this to see if you fit in this range.

Note that these two may be different since the chart includes ALL people who work in this field and not just those getting started.

For example, sometimes career requirements change. People already in the field may not be required to have the higher level of education that new workers need.

You can search for programs that lead to the education needed for this career in your local area, by clicking “Find local training” above.

What is the source of this information?

These data come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Education and training assignments by detailed occupation, 2022; and Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation, 2018-19.

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What you might do in a day
  • Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
  • Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
  • Write reports or evaluations.
  • Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
  • Teach life skills or strategies to clients or their families.
  • Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
  • Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
  • Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
  • Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
  • Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
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What does this information tell me?

This is a list of typical tasks that people in this career might do on the job.  You can use this list to get an idea of whether this career might be a good fit for you.

Click on “More tasks” to see more detailed examples of activities for this career.

You can also use this list to help you prepare for a job interview. Or, if you’ve already held a job like this, you can copy these tasks to use on your resume.

What is the source of this information?

This information comes from O*NET OnLine's Occupation Information. The first five items on the list are O*NET’s Detailed Work Activities. The second five, shown after you click “More tasks,” are O*NET‘s Tasks.

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