Counselor salary and education: what each kind of counselor earns and needs.
“Counselor” is a family of jobs, not one occupation. Here is what each one pays, how many people do it, the education BLS lists to start, and where it is heading, from U.S. government data.
$60,320
Median annual wage, May 2025, 1,035,300 employed.
Counselors in the United States earned a median annual wage of $60,320 in May 2025, according to BLS. Across the 5 occupations on this page, medians ran from $46,850 (rehabilitation counselors) to $66,940 (marriage and family therapists). BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for each of them.
Counselors at a glance
BLS counted 1,035,300 counselors employed in the United States in May 2025.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors are the largest occupation on this page, with 491,930 employed and a median annual wage of $59,350 in May 2025 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Among the occupations on this page, marriage and family therapists had the highest median annual wage in May 2025: $66,940 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS projects employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors to grow 18.4% from 2025 to 2035, the fastest projected change among the occupations on this page.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
What each kind of counselor earns
Data One row per BLS occupation, sorted by median annual pay. Hourly pay is shown only where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation (BLS title) | Median annual pay | Median hourly | Employed | Typical entry-level education | Projected change 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $66,940 | $32.18 | 66,740 | Master's degree | +13.5% |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $64,330 | $30.93 | 353,310 | Master's degree | +2.9% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $59,350 | $28.53 | 491,930 | Master's degree | +18.4% |
| Counselors, All Other | $50,860 | $24.45 | 28,580 | Master's degree | +5.9% |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | $46,850 | $22.52 | 94,740 | Master's degree | +2.2% |
What education do you need to be a counselor?
Data BLS typical entry-level education by occupation, 2025–35 projections. Typical, not a legal requirement; licensing rules vary by state, so check your state's licensing board.
- Master's degreeMarriage and Family Therapists; Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors; Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors; Counselors, All Other; Rehabilitation Counselors
Counselors and related careers
Data BLS group medians, May 2025. Each group is a different set of occupations; no group is better.
| Career family | BLS group | Median annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counselors | Counselors | $60,320 | 1,035,300 |
| Psychologists | Psychologists | $99,110 | 159,540 |
| Social workers | Social Workers | $61,780 | 775,930 |
How this page is built
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS national estimates for May 2025, for each BLS detailed occupation listed. The family figure is the BLS Counselors group (21-1010), as published by BLS, not a TryHired calculation. Typical entry-level education and projected change are from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Which occupations count is a TryHired editorial choice, listed below.
Which occupations this page counts. Counted: every occupation in the BLS Counselors group (21-1010), including marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, which BLS classifies as counselors. Genetic counselors (a healthcare occupation) and credit counselors (a financial occupation) are separate BLS occupations and are not counted.
- Pay at a specific employer, union contract or school district.
- Licensing or certification rules in your state.
- Which of these careers suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (public domain): typical entry-level education and projected employment change.