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Mental health

Mental health therapist salary in California

Open mental health therapist jobs in California post a median of $50.50 an hour, the middle half $33.50–$59.25 (about $105,000 a year full time), $16 above the national posted median. From 99 jobs at 37 employers that state their pay.

$50.50
Median posted /hr
$34–$59
Middle half /hr
$105,000
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$28.48
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Mental health therapist jobs in California · Mental health therapist pay nationwide

What mental health therapists are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 99 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $17.75, highest $92.

Posted on open jobs in California

$33.50–$59.25/hr

Middle half of 65 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $50.50. 47% of the 209 open mental health therapist jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Mental health therapist pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
San Diego$45.75$22–$7512 (6)
Monterey$64.75$55.36–$74.048 (2)
San Jose$64$55–$735 (3)
La Mesa$40$20.57–$755 (3)
Sacramento$64$53.36–$924 (4)
Vallejo$61.25$57.77–$64.524 (1)
Roseville$42$22–$80.504 (3)
Indio$65$40.06–$793 (1)
Los Angeles$64$49.54–$733 (3)
Ventura$57.50$40–$753 (3)
San Carlos$40$403 (1)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Mental health therapist pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for mental health therapists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Kaiser Permanente$61.25$44.93–$66.4120
BetterHelp$56.50$43–$708
Montage Health$64.75$55.36–$74.047
Sutter Health$64$50.83–$80.504
Kaweah Health$50.75$38.92–$63.164
ARC Health Partners$48.75$30–$754
Izzo Marriage & Family Therapy$40$404
NVISION Centers$22.50$20–$244
Wellness and Equity Alliance$65$40.06–$793
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$64$59.42–$67.623
Sharp HealthCare$56.25$45.06–$65.453
First Steps Recovery$27$22–$353
El Camino Health$73$59.72–$87.382
Positive Change Counseling Center$48.75$30–$752
Silver Lake Psychology$48.75$31–$732
Loma Linda University Health$46.75$36.71–$57.892
CommonSpirit Health$45.25$32.32–$54.912
Acadia Healthcare$34.50$27–$452
Cortica$24.50$20.57–$28.422
Valor Healthcare$81$70–$921
John Muir Health$69.25$59.02–$79.671
Signet Health$64.75$55.36–$74.041
Jewish Family and Children's Services$52.50$45–$601
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital$51$40.75–$61.121
Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center$50.75$44.74–$56.671
CVS Health$50.50$26.01–$74.781
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$49.75$45.37–$541
Tenet Healthcare$42.75$33.63–$52.101
Florence Crittenton Services of Orange Country$39$34–$44.201
Prime Healthcare$38$32.77–$43.111
Wellpath$36$34.20–$381
Align Recovery Centers$34$32–$361
Ritter Center$31$311
Transitions Mental Health Asso$25$22–$27.811
Akua Behavioral Health$23$231
Blue Heron Programs$22$221
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health$19$17.75–$20.231

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for mental health therapists nationwide when it has such a page.

Jobs that state a yearly salary

Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.

22 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $95,000, the middle half $81,500 to $105,000.

Best-paid open mental health therapist jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (21-1018)$21.46 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$22.91 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$28.48 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$38.74 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$53.40 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)75,610 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Mental health therapist salary in California: common questions

How much does a mental health therapist make in California?

Open mental health therapist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $50.50, the middle half $33.50–$59.25 (99 jobs from 37 employers). Full time that is about $105,000 a year. BLS measured a median of $28.48/hr ($59,250 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do mental health therapists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: San Diego ($45.75), Monterey ($64.75), San Jose ($64) and La Mesa ($40). The town table lists 11.

Which employers in California pay mental health therapists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Wellness and Equity Alliance ($65), Montage Health ($64.75) and Sutter Health ($64).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($50.50) is $16 above the national posted median of $34.50. In the BLS survey California ranks 30 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 99 of 209 open mental health therapist jobs in California (47%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Mental health therapist pay in other states

Mental health therapist salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (SOC 21-1018), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Marriage and Family Therapists (SOC 21-1013), every state, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (SOC 21-1023), every state, published May 15, 2026
  5. BLS OEWS May 2025: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, national, published May 15, 2026
  6. BLS OEWS May 2025: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Mental health therapist salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/mental-health-therapist/california

How the board counts