Skip to content
Psychotherapy Notes
  • Exam Prep
    • California MFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California MFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • Advocacy
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (9th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2021 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2022 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy

15 years of therapist salary data for Psychologists, counselors, social workers, and MFTs

July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 by Ben Caldwell

bills on woodgrainHow much does the average Psychologist, counselor, MFT, or social worker make? Are salaries rising or falling relative to inflation? Therapist salary data can tell us a lot about the overall health of the professions. I’ve gathered 15 years of therapist salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to see what insights can be gained from it.

The figures in the chart below are adjusted for inflation and shown in 2021 dollars. On mobile devices, you’ll need to turn your device horizontal (landscape) to see the full chart.

Making meaning from therapist salary data

So, what can we learn from all of this? I published therapist salary data back in 2020 without much analysis, but I think there’s more to say this time around. Here are three lessons I take from this data.

1. The picture isn’t as rosy for Psychologists as it may appear. Psychologists didn’t actually get a big bump in 2021, despite what you see above. The increase in Psychologist salaries shown here reflects a change in how the BLS categorized Psychologists. In prior years, they had grouped clinical psychologists together with school psychologists. Starting in 2021, school psychologists (who generally make less) got their own category and were removed from the category used here.

2. The pandemic did not lead to immediate increases in mental health professionals’ salaries. Bear in mind that this data reflects BLS estimates for May of each listed year. It’s reasonable to expect that data gathered from 2020 forward would be unusually noisy. Even the 2021 estimates reflect a time that was still relatively early in the pandemic (at least compared to today, more than a year later). It may still be another year or two before we see lasting shifts (to whatever degree they have occurred) reflected in the salary data here. On a related subject, while it’s true that inflation was already becoming a monster toward the end of 2021, in May it had not yet crossed the 5% mark.

3. Mental health professionals, generally speaking, have not been gaining ground. Compare the 2021 numbers with 2007, when the chart starts. The master’s level professions are basically where they started, with the exception of social workers, who have gained about 12% relative to inflation. Psychologists gained about 5% from 2007 to 2020 (I’m leaving out the 2021 numbers here for the reasons described above). Counselors gained less than 4%. MFTs added less than 1%. It’s fair to say that, overall, we’re keeping up with inflation, but we’re not getting meaningfully ahead.

Cautionary notes

Use caution when interpreting this data. The BLS data is imperfect for reasons I’ve explained before. The professional categories used here are not perfect overlays for licensure. The counselor category changed in 2017 to combine mental health and substance abuse counselors into a single category, and the category for Psychologists changed in 2021 to separate out school psychologists. I used the inflation calculator at usinflationcalculator.com, which is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Economists regularly debate whether this is the best measure of inflation in the general economy. I chose to use CPI here as it is a useful reflection of the consumer purchasing power of dollars over time.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Tweet

People who read this article also read

Post navigation
Advertising reminders for California BBS Associates
California MFT program costs vary — by more than $100,000
Saving Psychotherapy
Saving Psychotherapy: How therapists can bring the talking cure back from the brink
An action plan to improve your practice while helping the whole field. An unflinching, data-driven, and ultimately optimistic look at where we are and how your practice matters to all of our shared futures.
 
Get it on Amazon

People are reading

  • Decoding counselor alphabet soup: LPC, LPCC, LMHC, and more
  • What's the difference between an MFT (or LMFT), an LPC (or LPCC), and an LCSW?
  • Social work exam data shows major racial disparities
  • California sets new rules for therapists writing ESA letters
  • Therapists should not write Emotional Support Animal letters

Recent Posts

  • Social work exam data shows major racial disparities August 9, 2022
  • NASW files FTC complaint over CareDash profiles funneling clients to BetterHelp [updated] August 2, 2022
  • California MFT program costs vary — by more than $100,000 July 25, 2022
  • 15 years of therapist salary data for Psychologists, counselors, social workers, and MFTs July 11, 2022

Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs – 9th ed

Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs - 9th edition front cover (c) Copyright 2022 Ben Caldwell LabsNinth edition (2022). A concise, digestible summary of vital elements of state law for master’s level therapists and mental health professionals.

Online California MFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep

Matthew Henry via Burst / Used under licenseBe ready for your test in 7 days with our study plan, video lectures, and practice questions. All for less than half of what competitors charge.
 
Start now

Preparing for the 2021 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2021 California MFT Law & Ethics ExamThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. Includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

Ben Caldwell Labs

Psychotherapy Notes is the official blog of Ben Caldwell Labs

All content and images © Copyright 2009-2022 Ben Caldwell Labs unless otherwise noted.
Some images are used under Creative Commons licensing (information embedded).

Ben Caldwell Labs, the Ben Caldwell Labs logo, and Psychotherapy Notes are registered trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc.

The opinions expressed on posts on this site are solely those of the author.
While this blog does sometimes cover legal issues, unless otherwise noted authors are practicing clinicians and not attorneys.
Nothing here should be interpreted as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for consulting with a qualified attorney.
  • Exam Prep
    • California MFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California MFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • Advocacy
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (9th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2021 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2022 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.