Mental Health Counselors
Also called: Behavior Analyst, Behavioral Health Clinician, Behavioral Health Consultant, Behavioral Health Counselor, Behavioral Health Therapist, Bereavement Counselor, BSS (Behavior Support Specialist), Case Manager
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention.
What mental health counselors do
Typical tasks
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
- Perform crisis interventions with clients.
- Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
- Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
- Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
- Collect information about clients through interviews, observation, or tests.
- Modify treatment activities or approaches as needed to comply with changes in clients' status.
Mental Health Counselors salary
No pay statistics are available for this occupation yet.
Projected pay for Mental Health Counselors (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
No projection yet because pay statistics are missing.
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Mental Health Counselors
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Mental Health Counselors? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Mental Health Counselors
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (10-year). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Mental Health Counselors United States | カウンセラー（医療福祉分野） Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | — | ¥4.54M ≈ $28,881 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | — | ¥5.90M |
| Outlook score | 64 | 54 |
| AI replacement risk | 45% Moderate | 37% Low |
| Workers | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Mental Health Counselors
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 5 — extensive preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become mental health counselors
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as mental health counselors
Career-path guidance is being prepared.