Mental Health Industry Employment Resources

According to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,  1 in 3 people live in an areas with a shortage of mental health workers in the United States. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 2.24 million jobs in the Mental Health industry as of 2022.

The industry is projected to have more than 200,000 openings annually, on average, over the next decade.  

The two charts below provide a further breakdown of the growth in employment in mental health care space – 1) by number of openings annually across different roles and 2) by percentage growth change for different roles. 

5 key takeaways from charts and data below –

1. Employment in each of the 9 Mental Health occupations (listed below in the charts) is projected to grow faster or much faster than the 3-percent average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032.

2. Employment growth from 2022 to 2032 is forecasted to range from 5%-18% for Mental Health occupations listed below.

3. Counselors (Mental Health, Behavioral Disorder, Substance Abuse) is expected to be fastest growing of mental health occupations, increasing at 18% from 2022 -2032, followed by Marriage and Family Therapists (15%) and Community Health workers (14%) in the top three.

4.  Of the 9 occupations shown, social workers had the most jobs in 2022 (728,600 workers) and is projected to have the most annual average openings (63,800) from 2022 to 2032.

5. Six of the mental health occupations from below chart had a median annual wage above the $46,310 median annual wage for all occupations in 2022. These include Counsellors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychiatrists and Educational Counselors.

Finally, below is the link to career overview of different types of roles and occupation in the Mental Health industry.