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Mental health

Mental health therapist salary in Illinois

Open mental health therapist jobs in Illinois post a median of $34.25 an hour, the middle half $29–$39.75 (about $71,200 a year full time), $0.25 below the national posted median. From 48 jobs at 20 employers that state their pay.

$34.25
Median posted /hr
$29–$40
Middle half /hr
$71,200
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$29.20
BLS median in IL
May 2025

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

What mental health therapists are paid in Illinois

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

Posted hourly rates of 48 open jobs in Illinois. Lowest posted $19, highest $70.

Posted on open jobs in Illinois

$29–$39.75/hr

Middle half of 35 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $34.25. 35% of the 138 open mental health therapist jobs in Illinois state an hourly rate.

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Mental health therapist pay by town in Illinois

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

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Chicago$31.25$21.46–$49.8610 (6)
Winfield$35$23.60–$404 (1)
Peoria$37$29.29–$50.383 (2)

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 Illinois

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

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Northwestern Medicine$33.75$23.60–$47.828
Endeavor Health$41.50$31.06–$49.867
Carle Health$39.75$23.36–$55.135
BetterHelp$56.50$43–$704
Advocate Health$41.25$25.30–$53.253
Sinai Chicago$29$21.46–$293
Acadia Healthcare$33.75$29–$392
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago$29.25$22.25–$36.382
Sarah Bush Lincoln$29$22.72–$35.222
Chestnut Health Systems$21$19–$222
Mercyhealth$42$30.59–$53.411
Blessing Hospital$38.50$30.78–$46.171
Hospital Sisters Health System$37$29.55–$44.321
Ascension$35$27.70–$42.431
Morris Hospital$34.75$27.70–$41.551
OSF HealthCare$34.25$31.49–$37.051
Christian Social Service of Illino$27$24–$301
Lydia Home Association$26.50$26.441
UW Health$26.50$22.01–$30.821
Haymarket Center$25$21.63–$28.361

Median of each employer's jobs in Illinois (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 Illinois state a yearly salary: a median of $68,500, the middle half $62,700 to $79,200.

Best-paid open mental health therapist jobs in Illinois

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

What BLS measures in Illinois

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, Illinois. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (21-1018)$20.68 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$22.78 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$29.20 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$38.50 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)$52.45 (source: BLS OEWS, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, opens in a new tab)20,250 (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 Illinois: common questions

How much does a mental health therapist make in Illinois?

Open mental health therapist jobs in Illinois that state an hourly rate post a median of $34.25, the middle half $29–$39.75 (48 jobs from 20 employers). Full time that is about $71,200 a year. BLS measured a median of $29.20/hr ($60,730 a year) for people employed in the occupation in Illinois (May 2025).

Where in Illinois do mental health therapists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Chicago ($31.25), Winfield ($35) and Peoria ($37). The town table lists 3.

Which employers in Illinois pay mental health therapists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: BetterHelp ($56.50), Endeavor Health ($41.50) and Advocate Health ($41.25).

How does Illinois compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in Illinois ($34.25) is $0.25 below the national posted median of $34.50. In the BLS survey Illinois ranks 20 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: 48 of 138 open mental health therapist jobs in Illinois (35%) 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 Illinois. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/mental-health-therapist/illinois

How the board counts