What does federal data report for counselor salaries in Texas?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS), substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Texas earn a median annual wage of $62,630. The 10th percentile earns $37,650, while the 90th percentile earns $95,910, across 21,400 employed individuals. Note that federal data groups mental health counselors together with substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors.

What is the pre-licensure pathway for counselors in Texas?

In Texas, the standard pre-licensure route is the LPC-Associate credential. Clinicians practice under supervision to earn required hours before advancing to full LPC licensure. Nationwide, the tightest recruitment markets occur where associate-level clinicians cannot find paid supervision.

Has Texas adopted the Counseling Compact?

Yes. Texas has enacted the Counseling Compact. Texas has also enacted the Social Work Compact and is a member of PSYPACT.

Which settings employ LPC and LMHC clinicians?

Counselors sit in outpatient clinics, community mental health organizations, substance use treatment facilities, schools and colleges, and telehealth platforms.

LPC / LMHC Salary in Texas

A guide comparing advertised compensation ranges to official federal wage estimates for counselors across Texas.

Pay · Last reviewed August 2026 · Take a Seat People editorial team

What do LPC and LMHC roles pay in Texas?

Advertised salaries for LPC and LMHC positions typically fall between $55,000 and $85,000 per year nationally. In Texas, official wage estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate a median annual wage of $62,630 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, with the 10th percentile at $37,650 and the 90th percentile at $95,910. Offers depend heavily on the specific work setting, patient caseload, access to paid clinical supervision, and payer mix. Entry into the field in Texas begins through the LPC-Associate pre-licensure credential.

Advertised Ranges vs. Official Federal Wage Estimates

When evaluating compensation for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), candidates and hiring managers encounter two primary data sources: advertised recruitment postings and official labor statistics. Advertised compensation across our nationwide vacancies typically falls between $55,000 and $85,000 per year. Ranges reflect what we typically see advertised on roles we recruit for in the US. They are a market guide, not a survey, and vary by setting, caseload and experience. Reviewed August 2026.

By comparison, official wage estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) report an annual median wage of $62,630 for counselors in Texas. Within this federal dataset, the 10th percentile stands at $37,650, while the 90th percentile reaches $95,910, reflecting a broad distribution across experience levels and employers. The agency reports 21,400 people employed in this occupation across Texas.

A critical caveat on the official figures is that federal wage reporting groups substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors into a single occupational classification. In contrast, advertised figures evaluate specific clinical postings for fully licensed or associate-level counselors.

Advertised role range: $55,000 – $85,000 (Take a Seat People vacancy inventory).
Official median wage: $62,630 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Official 10th percentile: $37,650 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Official 90th percentile: $95,910 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Total employed in Texas: 21,400 counselors under the combined federal code.

Factors That Determine Individual Pay Offers

Actual compensation offered to a Licensed Professional Counselor varies based on structural practice conditions. Clinical organizations set wage packages around their operating model, the complexity of care provided, and their reimbursement structures.

Clinical setting plays an immediate role in setting wage expectations. In addition, caseload volume and structure directly affect compensation models, whether based on salaried positions, per-visit compensation, or productivity targets.

The availability of clinical supervision creates clear tiering in the market. While independent clinicians command market-rate salaries, associate-level practitioners often encounter restricted pay structures or must navigate markets where paid clinical supervision is difficult to secure. Payer mix—including private commercial health plans, Medicaid, managed care organizations, and self-pay clients—establishes the collection rates that support counselor salary structures.

Practice setting: Community programs, outpatient practices, and educational environments maintain distinct operating budgets.
Caseload requirements: Expectations regarding billable client hours or clinical contact targets dictate base compensation.
Supervision structures: Whether employers offer paid clinical supervision directly impacts associate-level earning power.
Payer mix: Employer reliance on commercial insurance versus public funding streams impacts revenue per clinical hour.

Practice Settings for LPCs and LMHCs

Counselors in Texas practice across varied organizations that address different client populations and therapeutic needs. Compensation packages, working hours, and operational expectations reflect the specific constraints and operational rhythms of each environment.

Take a Seat People recruits across several distinct clinical environments nationally, each offering different caseload expectations and career pathways for mental health professionals.

Outpatient clinics: Delivering scheduled individual, group, and family counseling.
Community mental health: Providing comprehensive mental health treatment, often tied to public healthcare funding.
Substance use treatment: Providing specialized addiction and co-occurring disorder therapies in residential or ambulatory care.
Schools and colleges: Serving children, adolescents, and young adults in educational and campus environments.
Telehealth: Delivering virtual mental healthcare options across the state.

Texas Licensure Rules and Pre-Licensure Pathways

Counselor credentialing in Texas is administered through state-specific boards. In Texas, the state counseling board licenses LPCs separately from other behavioral disciplines such as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT). The standard pre-licensure pathway is the LPC-Associate credential, through which emerging clinicians accrue supervised clinical hours prior to full independent practice.

Nationally, counselor credentials rely on state licensure boards (utilizing designations such as LPC, LMHC, LPCC, or LCPC depending on the jurisdiction) and examinations from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), specifically the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).

Texas has enacted the Counseling Compact, which supports interstate practice recognition among participating states. Additionally, Texas is a member of PSYPACT for psychologists and has enacted the Social Work Compact. In other behavioral health fields, Texas also licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through TDLR in addition to standard BCBA certification.

Credential path: LPC-Associate serves as the standard pre-licensure credential in Texas.
Separate boards: LPC, LCSW, and LMFT disciplines maintain separate licensure.
Interstate mobility: Texas has enacted the Counseling Compact.
National examinations: Licensure requires passing NBCC examinations (NCE or NCMHCE).

Texas Behavioral Health Market Conditions

Counselor hiring reflects broad national trends alongside state-specific market dynamics. Across the country, counseling roles demonstrate high vacancy volumes. The tightest local markets occur wherever associate-level clinicians face barriers locating paid clinical supervision.

Within Texas, recruitment activity is concentrated across major metropolitan regions: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Our live recruitment inventory currently includes 1 open role matching this profile in Texas, offered on a full-time contract basis.

Texas also serves as the fastest-growing market in our ABA recruiting operations, where center expansion across Houston, DFW, and Austin has outrun local BCBA supply, resulting in routine relocation packages. The parallel expansion across multi-disciplinary behavioral practices continues to impact broader recruitment across the state.

Key metro areas: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.
Current live open roles matching this profile: 1 full-time position.
National market condition: High overall volume, with hiring pinches centered around access to paid supervision.
Regional growth: Rapid clinical infrastructure expansion in major Texas urban corridors.

Questions people ask

What is the advertised salary range for LPC and LMHC roles?: Advertised salaries typically range between $55,000 and $85,000 nationally based on live vacancy inventory. Ranges reflect what we typically see advertised on roles we recruit for in the US. They are a market guide, not a survey, and vary by setting, caseload and experience. Reviewed August 2026.
What does federal data report for counselor salaries in Texas?: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS), substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Texas earn a median annual wage of $62,630. The 10th percentile earns $37,650, while the 90th percentile earns $95,910, across 21,400 employed individuals. Note that federal data groups mental health counselors together with substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors.
What is the pre-licensure pathway for counselors in Texas?: In Texas, the standard pre-licensure route is the LPC-Associate credential. Clinicians practice under supervision to earn required hours before advancing to full LPC licensure. Nationwide, the tightest recruitment markets occur where associate-level clinicians cannot find paid supervision.
Has Texas adopted the Counseling Compact?: Yes. Texas has enacted the Counseling Compact. Texas has also enacted the Social Work Compact and is a member of PSYPACT.
Which settings employ LPC and LMHC clinicians?: Counselors sit in outpatient clinics, community mental health organizations, substance use treatment facilities, schools and colleges, and telehealth platforms.

Sources and method

Take a Seat People live vacancy inventoryTake a Seat People
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimatesUS Bureau of Labor Statistics

Take a Seat People is a recruitment business, not a clinical or licensing authority. Certification requirements come from the BACB and wage statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; our own figures are advertised ranges and vacancy observations, labelled as such. Full research methodology.