10 Fulfilling Mental Health Careers You Can Train for Now
After you earn your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a mental health related field, there are numerous career opportunities available to you. They can all be fulfilling and financially-rewarding — the key is to choose a career that aligns with your own personal values, goals, and interests.
Here is a guide to 10 different mental health careers, what each role involves, potential salaries, and job growth outlooks.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Licensed Clinical Social Workers provide therapy and support to individuals, families, and communities facing a wide range of challenges — including mental health issues, substance use, housing instability, legal issues, and more. LCSWs often work in public settings, like hospitals, community clinics, and schools. Many also open private therapy practices.
To become an LCSW, you’ll need a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, plus around 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work (after graduation) before getting licensed.
- Median salary: Around $75,000 per year; salaries for private practice can be higher. Location can affect your salary greatly, especially because many social workers work in public settings.
- Job growth: Expected to grow 7–9% by 2032, faster than average.
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
LPCCs focus on providing direct mental health counseling to individuals and groups. You’ll help clients work through mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and more.
This career path requires a Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (or similar), plus supervised post-grad clinical hours to earn licensure. You should always check to see if graduate programs offer a path to licensure, because not all Master’s degrees are eligible.
- Median salary: Over $78,000, depending on setting and experience. Some private practice counselors can make much more.
- Job growth: Mental health counseling jobs as a whole, including for LPCCs, is projected to grow 18 to 20% by 2032, much faster than the average for all jobs.
Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)
Marriage and Family Therapists specialize in helping couples and families improve their relationships, navigate transitions (like divorce), and build healthier dynamics. They also work with individuals who want to focus on relational or mental health concerns. Whether you want to get licensed as an LMFT or LPCC after your graduate program depends on where you live and your goals. Both allow you to work as a therapist.
To become an LMFT, you’ll usually complete an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (or similar), and then fulfill clinical hours required by your state. Some states allow pre-degree clinical hours to be counted toward this requirement.
- Median salary: About $60,000, but can be up to over $100,000. LMFTs working in home healthcare have the highest salaries.
- Job growth: Expected to grow 15% or more by 2032, much higher than the national average.
School Counselor
School counselors work in K-12 schools to support students’ academic, emotional, and social development. You can help students set personal goals, cope with mental health challenges, and navigate peer or family issues.
Most states require a master’s degree (often the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling) plus a state-specific school counseling credential to qualify for this career. Some graduate programs allow you to take classes to meet the credential requirements while completing your Master’s degree. You can also typically complete the requirements after you’ve graduated.
Some states require you to also have clinical licensure (like an LPCC, LMFT, or LCSW license) to work as a school counselor, so you should always check specific requirements.
- Median salary: Around $65,000, but can vary greatly by district and state. The highest 10% earn over $100,000.
- Job growth: Projected 4% by 2032, which is around the national average.
Behavioral Health Case Manager
Case managers coordinate care for clients with mental health or behavioral needs. They help people access services, manage treatment plans, and advocate for resources. For example, they might help clients with mental health conditions connect to affordable housing.
You can typically enter this field with a BA in Psychology, though some roles prefer or require an MSW (Master in Social Work). Many people start working as a case manager while finishing their Master’s program.
- Median salary: About $58,000, depending on location and employer. However, keep in mind that this median includes case managers who have their MSW degree.
- Job growth: Expected to grow steadily as demand for integrated care rises.
Rehabilitation Counselor
Rehabilitation counselors help people with disabilities or chronic health conditions achieve personal and professional goals. This could include mental health support, case management, or teaching independent living skills. They typically work in rehabilitation clinics, nursing homes, and government facilities.
A master’s degree, such as the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or an MSW, is typically required. Some entry-level jobs could only require a Bachelor’s degree depending on your location.
- Median salary: Around $46,000, but can increase with specialization.
- Job growth: Projected to grow about 2% by 2032, a bit slower than the national average.
Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors (sometimes called addiction counselors) support people in recovery from drug and alcohol use. You’ll help clients develop coping skills, rebuild relationships, and prevent relapse. Some substance use counselors with clinical licensure also provide therapy.
You can enter this field with a BA, plus additional certification (like CADC).
- Median salary: Around $49,000–$65,000, depending on the setting.
- Job growth: Expected to grow 18–20% by 2032, reflecting the increasing need for addiction services.
Mental Health Program Manager
Program managers oversee mental health services at clinics, nonprofits, hospitals, or government agencies. You’ll design and supervise programs, manage staff, and make sure services meet community needs.
Most roles require an MSW or MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, plus leadership experience. Some executive positions could require a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).
- Median salary: Between $78,000 and $110,000, depending on the organization and the type of program you’re managing.
- Job growth: Strong, as communities continue expanding mental health resources.
Applied Psychology Professional
If you’re drawn to psychology but not necessarily interested in clinical work, applied psychology roles might be a perfect fit for you. Applied psychology professionals use psychological theories and principles to solve real-world problems. It’s a relatively new but growing field. You could work as a user experience (UX) researcher, program evaluator, forensic psychology specialist, or in other research-based and applied roles.
These paths typically start with an MS in Psychology, although many people go on to get their doctorates.
- Median salary: Varies widely, depending on industry and specialty. UX researchers typically make upwards of $100,000 per year.
- Job growth: Varies, but research-related roles are steadily expanding as more organizations rely on behavioral data.
PhD or PsyD Track
If your goal is to work as a clinical psychologist or become a professor and researcher, pursuing a doctorate degree (PhD or PsyD) is the way to go. This takes more years of study, but it can pay off both in terms of salary and career goals.
You’ll start with a Master’s degree and then move into doctoral study. At PAU, all of our Master’s degrees are eligible for application to doctorate programs. PhD programs often focus more on research and academia, while PsyD programs emphasize clinical training. Both can lead to licensure as a psychologist and open doors in university teaching, advanced clinical practice, or specialized research.
- Median salary: Around $95,000 to $115,000+, often higher in private practice or government settings. The highest 10% earn over $150,000 per year.
- Job growth: Projected to grow 7% by 2032, over double the national average.
Takeaway
No matter what exact path you choose, there’s a huge need for compassionate, skilled professionals in mental health. Each of these careers offers different ways to make a real difference. It just depends on what your exact goals and needs are. Many mental health careers require a Master’s degree or higher, but you can start training for them now while getting experience in more entry-level positions.
If you’re not sure where to start, make an appointment with our admissions counselor to explore your options and see which path might fit best with your interests and life goals.
About the Author
Saya Des Marais is an extensively published writer in the mental health space. She graduated with her Master in Social Work (MSW) in 2010 and worked as a therapist in a wide variety of community settings before becoming a writer. You can learn more about her on her website.