Quick answer
Counselors in the US earn a median of $28.53 an hour ($59,350 a year), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2025. The middle half earn $22.65 to $36.80. Self-employed counselors usually bill more, about $66 an hour at the median wage, to cover taxes, overhead, unbilled time, and profit.
Counselors pay in the US
Hourly wages for 491,930 employed counselors, May 2025.
| Lowest 10% | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.72 | $22.65 | $28.53 | $36.80 | $46.92 |
Turn a wage into a billing rate
Wages above are what employers pay counselors. If you work for yourself, your rate also has to cover what an employer would pay for. Change any number to match your business.
Starts at the national median for counselors
Self-employment tax, liability insurance, benefits
Hours you can charge for after quotes, travel, and admin
Tools, vehicle, software, marketing
What the business keeps after paying you
$66 per hour
Pay x (1 + taxes) x (1 + overhead) x (1 + profit), divided by billable time. This is an estimate to start from, not a market price.
Pay by state
Median hourly pay in the 51 states with published data, highest first.
| State | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $38.83 | $31.59 to $47.10 | 1,290 |
| Oregon | $35.86 | $28.91 to $41.73 | 8,160 |
| New Mexico | $35.63 | $28.99 to $43.17 | 2,420 |
| Washington | $33.13 | $27.06 to $43.74 | 14,250 |
| North Dakota | $33.00 | $26.66 to $37.17 | 1,290 |
| Arizona | $31.39 | $24.77 to $37.55 | 9,990 |
| Rhode Island | $31.31 | $22.82 to $38.13 | 2,170 |
| Utah | $30.72 | $18.77 to $44.98 | 6,320 |
| Nebraska | $30.66 | $22.61 to $39.30 | 2,170 |
| Connecticut | $30.57 | $23.68 to $38.48 | 7,540 |
| Idaho | $30.46 | $22.63 to $39.33 | 2,990 |
| Wyoming | $30.28 | $22.26 to $38.61 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $30.20 | $23.70 to $39.38 | 14,210 |
| Texas | $30.11 | $21.77 to $38.08 | 21,400 |
| Colorado | $30.00 | $24.00 to $38.93 | 14,920 |
| Wisconsin | $29.91 | $25.20 to $37.27 | 8,340 |
| Vermont | $29.72 | $27.27 to $34.63 | 1,120 |
| Michigan | $29.66 | $23.07 to $37.33 | 10,100 |
| Iowa | $29.27 | $23.28 to $37.13 | 3,530 |
| Illinois | $29.20 | $22.78 to $38.50 | 20,250 |
| District of Columbia | $29.06 | $22.56 to $40.18 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $28.89 | $24.18 to $37.12 | 2,110 |
| Maine | $28.83 | $23.12 to $35.30 | 1,930 |
| Massachusetts | $28.80 | $22.86 to $37.00 | 18,190 |
| Virginia | $28.79 | $22.78 to $37.44 | 17,940 |
| Maryland | $28.62 | $24.06 to $35.20 | 9,730 |
| Kansas | $28.59 | $21.33 to $35.40 | 2,600 |
| New York | $28.58 | $23.16 to $35.44 | 26,770 |
| Oklahoma | $28.53 | $20.16 to $38.28 | 5,150 |
| California | $28.48 | $22.91 to $38.74 | 75,610 |
| Montana | $28.36 | $22.20 to $35.58 | 1,820 |
| Georgia | $28.35 | $22.28 to $34.86 | 9,600 |
| Minnesota | $28.26 | $23.51 to $31.46 | 7,110 |
| Ohio | $28.06 | $22.91 to $33.10 | 18,020 |
| Nevada | $27.51 | $23.16 to $37.08 | 1,810 |
| Missouri | $27.36 | $21.22 to $34.75 | 8,130 |
| Florida | $27.30 | $22.40 to $35.11 | 29,750 |
| Delaware | $26.93 | $21.04 to $31.15 | 1,700 |
| North Carolina | $26.68 | $21.68 to $32.98 | 10,300 |
| New Hampshire | $26.36 | $22.40 to $33.37 | 3,690 |
| Kentucky | $26.05 | $20.06 to $34.90 | 7,690 |
| Indiana | $25.85 | $20.30 to $31.89 | 11,890 |
| South Dakota | $25.79 | $21.95 to $30.13 | 1,710 |
| South Carolina | $25.18 | $20.71 to $31.28 | 6,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $25.01 | $20.78 to $31.39 | 30,620 |
| Arkansas | $24.80 | $18.72 to $32.33 | 2,570 |
| Tennessee | $23.84 | $18.83 to $29.41 | 9,040 |
| West Virginia | $23.76 | $20.54 to $29.60 | 2,100 |
| Alabama | $22.74 | $18.96 to $30.13 | N/A |
| Mississippi | $22.59 | $18.63 to $28.16 | 2,090 |
| Louisiana | $18.22 | $16.33 to $26.62 | 6,420 |
States are left out when BLS does not publish an estimate for them.
Counselors pay FAQ
How much do counselors make an hour?
The national median is $28.53 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18.72 and the top 10% earn over $46.92. Pay depends on location, experience, and specialty.
Which state pays counselors the most?
Alaska has the highest median at $38.83 an hour, and Louisiana the lowest at $18.22, among the 51 states with published data. Higher-paying states usually have higher living costs too.
How much should a self-employed counselor charge per hour?
Start from the pay you want, then add taxes and insurance, overhead, and profit, and divide by the share of hours you can bill. At the median wage and our default assumptions, that comes to about $66 an hour. Use the calculator on this page to plug in your own numbers.
Where does this pay data come from?
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), occupation "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors". It covers employees on payrolls, not self-employed workers or business owners.
Source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 21-1018 "Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors". Figures are wages for employees and do not include self-employed workers. The billing rate is our estimate using the assumptions in the calculator.