The median Mental Health Therapist salary is $53.50 per hour, or $111,280 per year, based on 2,320 job postings across 95 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$53.50
Median hourly
$111,280
Annual salary
$27-$87
Pay range
95
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Mental Health Therapist earns $53.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $38.00 and $65.00/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -6.9% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Nj, US is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Cleveland, OHIO sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-6.9%
Current median: $47.50/hr
Prior period: $51.00/hr
Job openings
+29.6%
613 recent postings
Previous period: 473 postings
Daily pay signal
$47.50/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Mental Health Therapist postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $51.00/hr to $47.50/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$26.50
$55,120/yr
Median
$53.50
$111,280/yr
Top earners
$86.50
$179,920/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $47.50/hr | 579 |
Mar 2026 | $51.00/hr | 507 |
Feb 2026 | $49.00/hr | 188 |
Jan 2026 | $60.00/hr | 477 |
Dec 2025 | $57.50/hr | 379 |
Nov 2025 | $61.15/hr | 190 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$57.34
—
Estimated from national data
~$55.66
—
23 postings · 13 companies
$60.00
$54-$61
5 postings · 4 companies
$85.00
$79-$98
175 postings · 78 companies
$48.50
$32-$66
69 postings · 32 companies
$60.00
$50-$60
20 postings · 15 companies
$52.50
$46-$69
Estimated from national data
~$54.53
—
11 postings · 6 companies
$65.00
$56-$78
74 postings · 42 companies
$51.50
$43-$84
38 postings · 25 companies
$43.00
$33-$62
Estimated from national data
~$56.15
—
10 postings · 7 companies
$52.50
$45-$60
70 postings · 54 companies
$53.75
$38-$63
17 postings · 13 companies
$77.00
$58-$98
Estimated from national data
~$60.31
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$37.50
$21-$75
21 postings · 10 companies
$47.50
$34-$57
7 postings · 5 companies
$40.00
$34-$59
Estimated from national data
~$46.19
—
144 postings · 58 companies
$55.00
$51-$68
149 postings · 22 companies
$44.50
$27-$60
32 postings · 19 companies
$72.50
$58-$80
28 postings · 18 companies
$40.50
$38-$60
Estimated from national data
~$57.42
—
12 postings · 6 companies
$60.00
$48-$69
Estimated from national data
~$50.68
—
22 postings · 3 companies
$35.50
$36-$36
16 postings · 9 companies
$60.00
$49-$78
Estimated from national data
~$48.84
—
136 postings · 50 companies
$60.00
$55-$68
12 postings · 10 companies
$52.50
$51-$66
62 postings · 39 companies
$53.50
$43-$61
65 postings · 37 companies
$57.50
$40-$75
6 postings · 3 companies
$39.50
$40-$42
82 postings · 34 companies
$52.50
$33-$60
Estimated from national data
~$46.81
—
40 postings · 11 companies
$38.50
$36-$51
117 postings · 52 companies
$49.00
$36-$61
Estimated from national data
~$51.37
—
8 postings · 6 companies
$52.50
$44-$75
Estimated from national data
~$52.14
—
18 postings · 9 companies
$61.25
$61-$82
34 postings · 21 companies
$61.00
$47-$65
44 postings · 36 companies
$50.00
$45-$55
Estimated from national data
~$47.79
—
53 postings · 18 companies
$51.00
$27-$64
141 postings · 31 companies
$51.00
$41-$58
9 postings · 3 companies
$60.00
$48-$65
20 postings · 9 companies
$41.25
$34-$48
Estimated from national data
~$56.98
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Mental Health Therapist salaries.
Nj
Us · 26 postings
$77.50/hr
Raleigh
North Carolina · 10 postings
$66.75/hr
Washington
District Of Columbia · 11 postings
$65.00/hr
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 10 postings
$62.25/hr
San Jose
California · 12 postings
$61.15/hr
Cleveland
Ohio · 16 postings
$25.50/hr
Co
Us · 17 postings
$26.50/hr
Lincoln
Nebraska · 11 postings
$35.50/hr
Portland
Oregon · 10 postings
$36.25/hr
Boston
Massachusetts · 11 postings
$44.50/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Mental Health Therapist positions.
Aspire365
5 postings
$110.00/hr
Octave
12 postings
$105.25/hr
Sondermind
26 postings
$95.00/hr
Work With Willow
10 postings
$93.75/hr
Cyti Psychological
7 postings
$90.00/hr
Earlybloom, Inc.
5 postings
$20.00/hr
Merrimack Autism Consultants Llc
13 postings
$22.00/hr
Compass Counseling Services Of Northern Virginia
10 postings
$24.50/hr
Compass Behavioral Group
5 postings
$24.50/hr
Maxim Healthcare
15 postings
$25.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Therapist | 426 | $46.00/hr |
| Licensed Mental Health Therapist | 171 | $60.00/hr |
| Psychotherapist | 104 | $60.00/hr |
| Behavioral Therapist | 72 | $25.75/hr |
| Licensed Mental Health Therapist - Telehealth | 49 | $89.00/hr |
| Outpatient Mental Health Therapist | 33 | $47.50/hr |
| Behavioral Therapist (bt) | 29 | $24.50/hr |
| Remote Licensed Mental Health Therapist | 17 | $84.50/hr |
| Licensed Psychotherapist | 12 | $64.50/hr |
| Associate Mental Health Therapist | 12 | $45.50/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Mental Health Therapist salaries.
FAQ
The median Mental Health Therapist salary is $53.50 per hour, or $111,280 annually. Pay ranges from $26.50/hr (10th percentile) to $86.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 2,320 job postings, the highest paying states for Mental Health Therapists include Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 2,320 Mental Health Therapist job postings across 95 states, from 857 different healthcare employers.
Mental Health Therapist pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Mental Health Therapist pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 6.9%.
Mental Health Therapist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $11.50 to $33.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Nj offer $77.50/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $25.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Mental Health Therapists typically earn around $26.50 to $38.00 per hour ($55,120 to $79,040 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $53.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 2,320 active postings with listed compensation for Mental Health Therapist. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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