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Kraena Pre-Health
Career Library

Therapy & Rehab

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Provides counseling and psychotherapy for mental health, substance use, and life challenges.

Years after high school

6–8 years

Degree

Master's degree

Entrance exam

None or program-specific requirements

Median pay

$53,710 national median for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (BLS, May 2025).

What the job is actually like

Provides counseling and psychotherapy for mental health, substance use, and life challenges. Typical work is moderate paced with very high patient contact, usually in Clinics, hospitals, schools, private practice, and telehealth. Procedure intensity is low, and schedules are typically described as: Scheduled sessions; evenings may be common.

The path

  1. 01Complete the typical education pathway: Bachelor's degree, counseling master's, and supervised clinical hours.
  2. 02Complete any program-specific admissions, clinical, or employer training requirements.
  3. 03Build supervised or role-specific experience for work in Clinics, hospitals, schools, private practice, and telehealth.
  4. 04Meet credentialing or licensure requirements: State LMHC or LPC license.

Good fit if

  • Students whose interests align with licensed mental health counselor work and who are comfortable with the listed training, schedule, and responsibility level.
  • Clear healthcare impact
  • Transferable professional skills

Think twice if

  • Education, scope, compensation, and daily duties vary by state and employer. Verify local requirements and shadow or interview a working licensed mental health counselor before committing.
  • Requirements vary by state and employer
  • Compensation varies by setting

Worth knowing

Career requirements can vary by state, employer, and credentialing body. Use this profile as a planning guide and verify current local requirements before enrolling in a program.

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All salary figures here are median annual wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025 — the most recent full national dataset. 'Median' means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Three things to keep in mind: (1) pay varies enormously by state, city, setting, and experience — a nurse in California and a nurse in rural Alabama earn very different salaries; (2) training lengths are typical, not guaranteed, and programs differ; (3) these numbers change every year. Always verify current figures at bls.gov/ooh before making a decision. For context, the BLS median wage for all U.S. occupations was $50,980, while healthcare practitioner and technical occupations had a median of $86,530 — one of the reasons health care is such a stable field.