How Much Do Career Counselors Make in California
How much money does a Mental Health Counselor make in California?
Average Yearly Salary
153,000 USD
( 12,800 USD monthly)
LOW
70,500
USD AVERAGE
153,000
USD HIGH
244,000
USD
A person working as a Mental Health Counselor in California typically earns around 153,000 USD per year. Salaries range from 70,500 USD (lowest) to 244,000 USD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Mental Health Counselor salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Mental Health Counselor Salary Distribution in California
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
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Salary Range
Mental Health Counselor salaries in California range from 70,500 USD per year (minimum salary) to 244,000 USD per year (maximum salary).
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Median Salary
The median salary is 166,000 USD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Mental Health Counselor(s) are earning less than 166,000 USD while the other half are earning more than 166,000 USD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
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Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Mental Health Counselor(s) are earning less than 106,000 USD while 75% of them are earning more than 106,000 USD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Mental Health Counselor(s) are earning less than 221,000 USD while 25% are earning more than 221,000 USD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
Mental Health Counselor Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Mental Health Counselor salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Mental Health Counselor with less than two years of experience makes approximately 80,100 USD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 107,000 USD per year, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 158,000 USD per year, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
" On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark. "
Additionally, Mental Health Counselor(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 193,000 USD per year, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 210,000 USD per year, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 227,000 USD per year, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Mental Health Counselor average salary change by experience in California
| 0 - 2 Years | 80,100 USD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 107,000 USD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 158,000 USD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 193,000 USD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 210,000 USD |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 227,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Mental Health Counselor Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Mental Health Counselor(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Mental Health Counselor salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of a Mental Health Counselor is 91,300 USD per year.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 143,000 USD per year, 57% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 240,000 USD per year, 68% more than someone with a Master's Degree.
Mental Health Counselor average salary difference by education level in California
| Bachelor's Degree | 91,300 USD | |
| Master's Degree | +57% | 143,000 USD |
| PhD | +68% | 240,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,500 US Dollar(s) to 118,000 US Dollar(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Mental Health Counselor Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Mental Health Counselor employees in United States earn 6% more than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 127,000 USD | |
| Female | -6% | 120,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers
Mental Health Counselor Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in United States
How much are annual salary increments in United States for Mental Health Counselor(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselor(s) in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 13% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.
United States / All Professions
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
"The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United States is 6%."
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2020
| Banking | 4% | |
| Energy | 8% | |
| Information Technology | 3% | |
| Healthcare | 7% | |
| Travel | 2% | |
| Construction | 6% | |
| Education | 1% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in United States for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Mental Health Counselor Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
A Mental Health Counselor is considered to be a high bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
13% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 87% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 5% to 9% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 87% | |
| No Bonus | 13% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based Bonuses
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance Bonuses
Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based Bonuses
Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year Bonuses
These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
| Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
| Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
"Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine."
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Mental Health Counselor Average Hourly Wage in California
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in California is 74 USD. This means that the average Mental Health Counselor in California earns approximately 74 USD for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Mental Health Counselor VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Mental Health Counselor is 24% more than that of Counseling. Also, Counseling salaries are 11% more than those of All Jobs.
California VS United States
We compared Mental Health Counselor salaries in California and United States and we found that California salaries are 24% more than those of United States.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Adoption Services Director | 147,000 USD |  -4% |
| Alcohol and Drug Counselor | 121,000 USD | -21% |
| Assistant Instructor | 52,500 USD | -66% |
| Career Counselor | 125,000 USD | -18% |
| Consultant | 126,000 USD | -18% |
| Director of Rehabilitation Services | 177,000 USD |  +15% |
| Disability Consultant | 105,000 USD | -32% |
| Employment Counselor | 131,000 USD | -15% |
| Family Advocate | 89,800 USD | -41% |
| Family Services Specialist | 93,800 USD | -39% |
| Family Support Specialist | 143,000 USD | -7% |
| Family Youth Worker | 45,900 USD | -70% |
| Guidance Counselor | 133,000 USD | -13% |
| Guidance Director | 151,000 USD | -2% |
| Mental Health Counselor | 153,000 USD | -0% |
| Programs Coordinator | 70,100 USD | -54% |
| Psychologist | 172,000 USD | +12% |
| Supervising Counselor | 138,000 USD | -10% |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | 141,000 USD | -8% |
| Youth Advocate | 73,700 USD | -52% |
| Youth Care Counselor | 139,000 USD | -9% |
| Youth Care Specialist | 79,500 USD | -48% |
| Youth Development Manager | 171,000 USD | +12% |
Salary Comparison By City
| Long Beach | 124,000 USD |
| Los Angeles | 150,000 USD |
| Oakland | 122,000 USD |
| Sacramento | 127,000 USD |
| San Diego | 143,000 USD |
| San Francisco | 139,000 USD |
| San Jose | 142,000 USD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in United States earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
| Private Sector | 92,400 USD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 97,100 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
How Much Do Career Counselors Make in California
Source: http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=71&loctype=2&job=207&jobtype=3
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