Prevailing Wage for Mental Health Counselors
Prevailing wage requirements for Mental Health Counselors under SOC 21-1014 apply to sponsored positions held by Behavioral Health Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and similar clinicians. DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor for each level varies significantly by city, so where the worksite is located matters as much as the level itself.
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Entry-level counselors with limited professional experience, typically new graduates or those in their first supervised clinical role. Employers filing at Level 1 expect the hire to work under close supervision with a narrow, defined caseload.
Qualified counselors with several years of post-licensure experience handling a moderately complex caseload with routine supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Mental Health Counselors, reflecting the standard licensed clinician role in most practice settings.
Experienced clinicians who independently manage complex or specialized caseloads, may provide clinical supervision to junior staff, and require minimal day-to-day oversight. Often applies to senior therapists or lead counselors in larger programs.
Fully competent senior clinicians with advanced specialization, program leadership responsibilities, or supervisory authority over other licensed staff. Employers filing at Level 4 typically describe a principal clinician, clinical director, or equivalent senior role.
Prevailing Wage for Mental Health Counselors by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Mental Health Counselors and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title aliasing across mental health SOCs
Roles titled Case Manager or Behavior Analyst sometimes get filed under different SOC codes with lower prevailing wages. Confirm your offer letter title maps to SOC 21-1014 on the LCA, or the Mental Health Counselors wage floor won't apply to your petition.
Factor in licensure requirements when assessing your level
Most states require an LMHC or equivalent license for independent practice. Employers often file at Level 2 once licensure is obtained, so pending licensure status at offer time can push a filing to Level 1 even if your experience warrants Level 2.
Compare community mental health agencies against hospital systems
Community mental health agencies and nonprofit behavioral health providers frequently post wages near the prevailing floor, while hospital-employed counselors and integrated health systems in metros like Austin and Anchorage tend to file at higher levels with broader total compensation.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with counselor hiring history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Mental Health Counselors before, so you can target agencies and health systems with a documented track record of filing LCAs for this SOC rather than approaching sponsors for the first time.
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Find Jobs for Mental Health CounselorsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 21-1014.00 alongside Mental Health Counselors, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Behavior Analyst Prevailing Wage
Behavior Analyst Prevailing Wage
Behavior Analyst positions fall under SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Behavioral Health Counselor Prevailing Wage
Behavioral Health Counselor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Behavioral Health Counselor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Case Manager Prevailing Wage
Case Manager Prevailing Wage
Case Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Clinician Prevailing Wage
Clinician Prevailing Wage
Clinician positions fall under SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Counselor Prevailing Wage
Counselor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Counselor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) positions fall under SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Mental Health Specialist Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Mental Health Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Mental Health Therapist Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Therapist Prevailing Wage
Mental Health Therapist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1014.00 (Mental Health Counselors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Mental Health Counselors?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 21-1014, the agency calculates four wage levels by applying percentage multipliers to the local median wage for Mental Health Counselors. Employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable DOL level for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level positions with close supervision and limited experience. Level 2 reflects a qualified licensed clinician handling routine caseloads, and is the most commonly filed level for this occupation. Level 3 applies to experienced counselors managing complex cases or supervising others. Level 4 covers senior or lead clinicians. The employer selects the level based on the actual job duties and experience requirements in the job description, not solely on years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same counselor role vary so much from city to city?
DOL derives each metro's wage floor from regional OES survey data, which reflects local labor market conditions including cost of living, employer competition, and workforce supply. The LCA must list the actual worksite city, so the wage obligation follows the work location, not where the employer is headquartered. This is why Anchorage and Austin carry significantly higher floors than metros like Lake Charles or San Juan for the same SOC 21-1014 duties.
What happens if a job offer is below the DOL prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA certified at a wage below the DOL prevailing wage for the worksite and level is non-compliant. USCIS can deny the H-1B or other visa petition if the offered wage on the LCA does not meet the floor. OFLC can also audit and debar employers found to be willfully underpaying. For the sponsored worker, the remedy typically requires the employer to correct the wage before or during adjudication.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Mental Health Counselors in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 21-1014 by metropolitan area and wage level. Enter the worksite metro, select the occupational code, and the tool returns the current DOL wage for each of the four levels. You can also reference O*NET for occupational context. Migrate Mate lists employers with active sponsorship history for this role, so you can cross-reference posted salary ranges against the DOL floor for a given location before applying.
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