H-1B Hiring for Mental Health Counselors Shows Strong Growth in Recent Fiscal Years
Explore H-1B visa filings for Mental Health Counselors. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 91% |
| Average Salary | $67,821 |
| Salary Range | $36,005 - $126,980 |
| Top Sponsor | Gandara Mental Health Center INC |
| Primary Location | Massachusetts |
Mental Health Counselors is one of the H-1B visa categories with 124 filings and an average salary of $67,395. H-1B hiring for Mental Health Counselors is heavily concentrated in specific states, with Massachusetts leading significantly. The vast majority of H-1B petitions for this role are for new employment, indicating a demand for fresh talent. The average salary offered to H-1B Mental Health Counselors is slightly above the median salary, suggesting competitive compensation for these roles.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 91% |
| Average Salary | $67,821 |
| Median Salary | $65,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $56,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $75,358 |
| Minimum Salary | $36,005 |
| Maximum Salary | $126,980 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $56,000 |
| Median (50th) | $65,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $75,358 |
| 90th Percentile | $89,981 |
| Average | $67,821 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 90 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 8 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 1 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 1 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 24 |
| New York | 13 |
| Washington | 10 |
| California | 9 |
| Texas | 8 |
| Illinois | 7 |
| Colorado | 5 |
| Florida | 3 |
| Kentucky | 3 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
Focus on states with high H-1B demand like Massachusetts and highlight specialized skills in mental health counseling to stand out in the job market.
The average H-1B salary for Mental Health Counselors is $67,395, with a median of $65,000. The 25th-75th percentile range is $55,349 to $78,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Mental Health Counselors include GANDARA Mental HEALTH CENTER Inc, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Children's Crisis Treatment Center, Inc., YOUNG WOMENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO, Korean American Family Services, Inc.. A total of 82 employers have filed for this role.
There are 124 H-1B filings on record for Mental Health Counselors positions. 93.5% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Mental Health Counselors positions are Massachusetts (28), New York (12), Washington (11), Illinois (10), California (10).
Yes, Mental Health Counselors is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 124 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Mental Health Counselors salaries range from $36,005 to $126,980. The median salary is $65,000.
The approval rate for Mental Health Counselors H-1B petitions is 93.5%. Massachusetts accounts for a substantial portion of H-1B hires for Mental Health Counselors.
The number of H-1B petitions has seen a dramatic increase in FY2025, suggesting a surge in demand.
Focus on states with high H-1B demand like Massachusetts and highlight specialized skills in mental health counseling to stand out in the job market.
The average salary for H-1B Mental Health Counselors is $67,395, which is slightly higher than the median salary of $65,000.
The Mental Health Counselors occupation (SOC code 21-101400) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Mental Health Counselors positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Mental Health Counselors positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Mental Health Counselors positions show an average offered salary of $67,821, with a range from $36,005 at the entry level to $126,980 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Massachusetts (24 filings) and New York (13 filings).
Career outlook for Mental Health Counselors professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Mental Health Counselors role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Mental Health Counselors roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Mental Health Counselors positions, the average offered salary of $67,821 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 16.6%, with 75% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Mental Health Counselors positions is 91%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Mental Health Counselors positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Mental Health Counselors H-1B filings is approximately 34 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Mental Health Counselors positions.