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Mental Health Advisors Job Overview

The primary job of mental health advisors is to help people overcome their mental illnesses and emotional problems. These health care professionals have to assess and treat mental problems by combining psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, medication and hospitalization. Their job demands regular discussions with the patients in order to help them find solutions to their behavioral problems. Their work also involves closely examining the patient, questioning and interviewing him/her and conducting clinical studies.

Mental Health Advisors Schools and Degrees

To become a mental health advisor, a health practitioner must obtain a license. Formal education is of utmost importance in this case. This may include 4 years of undergraduate school and 4 years of medical school.

Job Requirements

Mental health advisors may benefit from enrolling in the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. certification program. The United States provides licensures to its mental health advisors after an examination is passes. Completion of 1 to 7 years of graduate medical education is also mandatory. Certification in a sub-specialty will require an additional 1 to 2 years of residency for a physician a medical practitioner.

The American Association of Pastoral Counselors offers certifications to mental health advisors. These certificates prove one’s credentials and can help further the career of a mental health advisor.

Apart from the academic qualifications, mental health advisors need to possess the willingness to serve patients. They should be extremely patient and have high levels of motivation and emotional stability and the ability to make proper decisions in times of emergency. Mental health advisors need to discuss problems and solutions with their patients, so communication skills have to be strong. They also have to keep themselves updated with the latest developments in medical science throughout their careers.

Nature of Work

Mental health advisors study their patient’s behavioral patterns, explore their past experiences and conduct family and group therapy sessions. They are also required to provide electroconvulsive therapy to mental patients who are not able to respond to medications.

Mental health advisors generally work in clinics or private offices. Nurses and other administrative personnel also assist them. Their job may require them to work long and irregular hours. Mental health advisors may also need to travel frequently in order to handle emergency cases.

Mental Health Advisors Jobs and Outlook

According to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2007, mental health advisors held about 21,790 jobs. Employment is the highest in the following industries:

• Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
• Offices of Physicians
• Outpatient Care Centers
• Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals

The mean hourly wage for mental health advisors in the US is about $70.97, while the mean annual salary is around $147,620.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 100,000 mental health advisors are employed nationally. Workers can expect a low level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2008, 3% of employees could not find jobs.

Area Job Conditions

Popular locations for mental health advisors include Taunton (Massachusetts), Gadsden (Alabama), and Scranton (Pennsylvania). Fewer are found in Greensboro (North Carolina), Dallas (Texas), and Charleston (South Carolina).

Workers looking for high salaries should look at Bakersfield (California), Vineland (New Jersey), and Lafayette (Indiana), and should avoid Coeur d'Alene (Idaho), Houma (Louisiana), and Elkhart (Indiana).

Training and Education

Employees often obtain a master's degree before starting. The percentage of mental health advisors with college degrees is 73%. Workers with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 18% of the total. Some employees, about 9%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Part-time mental health advisors are 15% of all surveyed. Some workers, about 6%, work for themselves.

Mental Health Advisors by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$36,000	190	-51%
Huntsville	$34,000	50	-69%
Montgomery	$44,000	160	+28%
Tuscaloosa	$39,000	50	-25%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$60,000	200	+56%
Fairbanks	$58,000	30	+40%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$44,000	1,040	-26%
Tucson	$41,000	220	-18%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$43,000	120	-24%
Fort Smith	$46,000	80	-13%
Hot Springs	$51,000	30	+23%
Little Rock	$55,000	200	-27%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$55,000	90	-56%
Los Angeles	$48,000	1,920	-41%
Napa	$34,000	80	+79%
Oakland	$46,000	1,170	+47%
Oxnard	$52,000	80	-66%
Redding	$34,000	90	+112%
Riverside	$40,000	600	-38%
Sacramento	$53,000	500	-28%
Salinas	$53,000	90	-26%
San Diego	$46,000	610	-42%
San Francisco	$54,000	820	+3%
San Jose	$39,000	470	-34%
Santa Ana	$41,000	140	-88%
Santa Barbara	$45,000	110	-14%
Santa Cruz		100	+57%
Santa Rosa	$42,000	220	+65%
Stockton	$35,000	140	-14%
Vallejo	$41,000	120	+34%
Visalia	$54,000	100	-2%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$40,000	200	+71%
Colorado Springs	$42,000	370	+88%
Denver	$43,000	1,530	+53%
Fort Collins	$30,000	340	+260%
Grand Junction	$39,000	110	+174%
Greeley	$36,000	60	+15%
Pueblo	$51,000	130	+224%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$46,000	330	-2%
Danbury	$41,000	100	+104%
Hartford	$40,000	480	+5%
New Haven	$40,000	470	+121%
Norwich	$47,000	120	+30%
Waterbury	$36,000	270	+455%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wilmington	$38,000	200	-22%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$53,000	1,820	-7%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$41,000	80	-46%
Deltona	$39,000	200	+71%
Fort Lauderdale	$45,000	630	+13%
Fort Walton Beach	$36,000	90	+63%
Gainesville	$45,000	70	-23%
Jacksonville	$39,000	360	-25%
Lakeland	$43,000	160	+10%
Miami	$46,000	640	-18%
Naples	$39,000	70	-16%
Ocala	$41,000	40	-38%
Orlando	$38,000	670	-17%
Palm Bay	$44,000	120	-21%
Panama City	$34,000	60	+21%
Pensacola	$36,000	90	-20%
Port St Lucie	$40,000	150	+68%
Sarasota	$47,000	170	-11%
Tallahassee	$41,000	170	+38%
Tampa	$36,000	560	-39%
West Palm Beach	$38,000	270	-34%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlanta	$39,000	1,260	-32%
Augusta	$65,000	30	-81%
Macon	$47,000	40	-40%
Savannah	$38,000	30	-74%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$37,000	150	-57%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$49,000	110	-46%
Coeur Dalene	$47,000	60	+70%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Champaign	$47,000	50	-34%
Chicago	$42,000	4,250	+41%
Kankakee	$31,000	70	+149%
Peoria	$42,000	130	0%
Rockford	$39,000	150	+41%
Springfield	$53,000	90	+12%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Evansville	$42,000	50	-62%
Fort Wayne	$54,000	80	-49%
Gary	$38,000	70	-67%
Indianapolis	$44,000	290	-59%
South Bend	$44,000	60	-38%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$40,000	50	-53%
Davenport	$34,000	120	-16%
Des Moines	$41,000	270	+4%
Dubuque	$32,000	40	+7%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wichita	$34,000	60	-73%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lexington	$36,000	80	-57%
Louisville	$33,000	450	-7%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Alexandria	$30,000	350	+663%
Baton Rouge	$44,000	160	-46%
Lafayette	$29,000	80	-26%
Monroe	$44,000	60	+8%
New Orleans	$31,000	680	+62%
Shreveport	$39,000	100	-28%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bangor	$50,000	70	+61%
Portland	$49,000	100	-35%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$38,000	900	-14%
Bethesda	$40,000	270	-41%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boston	$44,000	1,770	+27%
Brockton	$41,000	140	+111%
Haverhill	$36,000	180	+200%
Lawrence		90	+113%
Lowell	$39,000	100	+11%
New Bedford	$52,000	160	+246%
Pittsfield	$59,000	40	+86%
Springfield	$46,000	620	+166%
Taunton	$36,000	210	+579%
Worcester	$48,000	660	+237%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$37,000	140	+9%
Battle Creek	$47,000	80	+121%
Detroit	$41,000	280	-47%
Grand Rapids	$53,000	350	+18%
Holland	$51,000	50	-30%
Kalamazoo	$48,000	40	-61%
Lansing	$48,000	110	-28%
Warren	$50,000	530	-39%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$40,000	60	-39%
Mankato	$41,000	40	+1%
Minneapolis	$45,000	1,430	+0%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Jackson	$45,000	180	-9%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Girardeau	$41,000	40	+30%
Kansas City	$41,000	400	-51%
Springfield	$33,000	60	-59%
St Joseph	$27,000	60	+69%
St Louis	$47,000	330	-69%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Missoula	$34,000	90	+145%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$40,000	200	+63%
Omaha	$43,000	320	-14%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$50,000	310	-54%
Reno	$57,000	100	-32%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$38,000	150	+95%
Nashua	$41,000	170	+64%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$44,000	70	-36%
Camden	$45,000	650	+56%
Edison	$46,000	710	-14%
Newark	$47,000	950	+19%
Trenton	$45,000	230	+30%
Vineland	$51,000	130	+205%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$50,000	590	+94%
Las Cruces	$45,000	50	+9%
Santa Fe	$33,000	50	+13%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$39,000	230	-36%
Buffalo	$33,000	470	+7%
Nassau	$39,000	760	-25%
New York	$39,000	4,460	+7%
Poughkeepsie	$31,000	200	+4%
Rochester	$35,000	510	+27%
Syracuse	$37,000	180	-27%
Utica	$28,000	110	+17%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville	$39,000	370	+172%
Charlotte	$42,000	450	-34%
Durham	$44,000	370	+71%
Fayetteville	$41,000	180	+89%
Goldsboro	$42,000	50	+81%
Greensboro	$43,000	220	-22%
Greenville	$43,000	110	+126%
Hickory	$42,000	100	-11%
Jacksonville	$45,000	50	+71%
Raleigh	$38,000	380	-7%
Wilmington	$37,000	210	+103%
Winston Salem	$50,000	80	-51%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$51,000	270	+7%
Canton	$48,000	210	+64%
Cincinnati	$43,000	840	+4%
Cleveland	$41,000	820	+0%
Columbus	$46,000	490	-33%
Dayton	$48,000	350	+16%
Sandusky	$50,000	60	+157%
Springfield	$44,000	30	-10%
Steubenville	$34,000	30	+6%
Toledo	$43,000	280	+21%
Youngstown	$48,000	580	+229%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lawton	$49,000	70	+151%
Oklahoma City	$49,000	450	-2%
Tulsa	$40,000	340	0%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Eugene	$51,000	310	+190%
Medford	$43,000	60	+7%
Portland	$47,000	1,280	+57%
Salem	$58,000	70	-38%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$41,000	690	+153%
Altoona	$29,000	210	+386%
Erie	$38,000	280	+189%
Harrisburg	$46,000	570	+126%
Johnstown	$35,000	350	+782%
Lancaster	$40,000	280	+53%
Lebanon	$48,000	50	+59%
Philadelphia	$36,000	6,760	+342%
Pittsburgh	$39,000	2,800	+205%
Reading	$46,000	230	+80%
Scranton	$33,000	990	+385%
State College	$42,000	60	+34%
Williamsport	$42,000	30	-17%
York	$36,000	340	+151%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$37,000	810	+83%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$25,000	100	-56%
Columbia	$44,000	160	-42%
Greenville	$36,000	30	-87%
Myrtle Beach	$63,000	40	-51%
Spartanburg	$36,000	40	-54%

South Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Rapid City	$40,000	40	-12%
Sioux Falls	$46,000	110	+4%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$29,000	40	-77%
Clarksville	$30,000	80	+40%
Jackson	$29,000	70	+68%
Johnson City	$35,000	30	-42%
Kingsport	$32,000	140	+53%
Knoxville	$30,000	160	-39%
Memphis	$33,000	1,220	+148%
Nashville	$36,000	460	-22%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Amarillo		40	-50%
Austin	$40,000	400	-36%
Beaumont	$30,000	70	-43%
Corpus Christi	$32,000	240	+75%
Dallas	$39,000	470	-72%
El Paso	$36,000	40	-81%
Fort Worth	$38,000	290	-58%
Houston	$40,000	870	-59%
Midland	$47,000	40	-11%
San Antonio	$41,000	240	-66%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Provo	$44,000	170	+30%
Salt Lake City	$45,000	310	-36%
St George	$53,000	30	-5%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$37,000	80	-4%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Blacksburg	$48,000	40	-8%
Lynchburg	$36,000	310	+323%
Richmond	$41,000	1,240	+153%
Roanoke	$37,000	250	+110%
Virginia Beach	$43,000	1,110	+83%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bremerton	$44,000	90	+48%
Kennewick	$42,000	130	+75%
Longview	$41,000	60	+173%
Seattle	$44,000	1,680	+49%
Spokane	$47,000	400	+152%
Tacoma	$43,000	640	+209%
Wenatchee	$43,000	30	+14%
Yakima	$47,000	150	+145%

West Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$31,000	90	-19%
Huntington	$29,000	170	+99%
Morgantown	$29,000	50	+34%
Wheeling	$36,000	60	+29%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Appleton	$46,000	90	+5%
Eau Claire	$55,000	40	-25%
Green Bay	$54,000	120	-7%
Janesville	$44,000	60	+33%
Madison	$45,000	320	+20%
Milwaukee	$42,000	610	-8%
Oshkosh	$51,000	50	-23%
Racine	$48,000	40	-26%
Wausau	$49,000	50	+5%