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Mean salary data for Psychologists, Counselors, MFTs, and Social Workers [interactive chart]

December 29, 2020September 9, 2020 by Ben Caldwell

bills on woodgrainHow much salary are you likely to make as a Psychologist, counselor, MFT, or social worker? Are salaries rising or falling relative to inflation? The following chart shows 13 years of therapist salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Note that these figures are adjusted for inflation. All numbers are in 2019 dollars, using the inflation calculator at usinflationcalculator.com. On some mobile devices, you’ll need to turn your device horizontal (landscape) to see the full chart.

It’s important to hold in mind some cautionary notes about this data. The BLS extrapolates full-time salaries from reported hourly wages. In doing so, it includes part-time workers, but may overstate what the average worker actually makes. It also fails to account for underemployment (people working fewer hours in their profession than they would like to). BLS professional categories are not perfect overlays for licensure. The counselor category changed in 2017 to combine mental health and substance abuse counselors into a single category. Finally, the data here reflects national means, and as such may be dragged up a bit by outliers on the high end. Median data shows similar trends to those shown here, with medians generally a few percentage points below means. And of course, since these are national averages, salaries vary by state, city, and workplace.

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  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
  • CE Courses
    • California Law and Ethics 6-Hour for LMFTs, LPCCs, & LCSWs
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2025
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (11th ed)
    • Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2025 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
    • Saving Psychotherapy
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Test™ Podcast
    • Exam Prep Articles
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy