New Therapist Salary. How much money do Therapists make in their first job? || LPCC LMFT AMFT APCC

hello! Today I made a video about how much therapists might make in the San Francisco area once they graduate their masters program. Hope you enjoy~
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d i s c l a i m e r ------------------------
I am not providing health care, medical or therapy services, or attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any physical, mental or emotional condition.
a b o u t m e ------------------------
I'm a psychotherapist (MFT/LPCC) in training in California. After working in the tech industry (engineer, data analyst, operations manager) for five years I've decided to make a career shift! This is my channel walking through my journey and my learnings. hope you enjoy ~

[@rescsuyiliu]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm also starting out as an associate in CA

[@techtotherapy]

Wooooh yay! Best wishes with your new experience ✨✨

[@JimB16]

Thank you for your honesty!

[@techtotherapy]

Of course!!

[@Roumaynecute]

I'm from Jamaica. I'm in tech and I resonated so much with your videos. I'm currently in tech, applying for a degree in psychology so I can pursue a career in therapy. The money is my biggest fear, but pursuing purpose helps me to overcome. Thankx for the content 🎉

[@techtotherapy]

Thanks for your comment🥰🥰 money was also my biggest obstacle to making the switch, it's definitely not easy, but from my experience it was worth it🌻

[@SANIA-ko8hh]

i am comprehending to not pursue psychology and go for a CS major , since we can start making good money after about 4 dedicated years ... any advices ??

[@techtotherapy]

Thanks for commenting! Yeah from my experience jobs that use technical skills like software engineering can have pretty high starting salaries! But I would also just keep in mind the tech industry in the US is not as cushy as it was several years ago

[@jennyxing]

thank you so much for making this video! i was also formerly a software engineer and just accepted to study counseling at SFSU this fall, and this video gave me a good clear idea of what to expect.

[@techtotherapy]

Yay!! Thanks for your comment! Ohh you're going to school in the area, awesome!

[@Kellie597]

Why do you want to change careers?

[@jennyxing]

@@Kellie597 I found counseling to align better with what I'm naturally good and and brings me joy. it's something that I believe will be the better choice in the long run! I was also dissatisfied with my previous career despite it being stable with good income.

[@Kellie597]

@@jennyxing Thank you. I am in school for counseling and sometimes regret not getting into tech so its interesting hearing others' perspectives!

[@jennyxing]

@@Kellie597 of course! it's not easy to switch into any career, but if it truly interests you and if you believe you're naturally a good fit for it, then go for it! I'm actually specializing in career counseling so I have lots of thoughts on career choices haha

[@douglascounts4634]

First you were saying upwards of 120K a year initially and then later 38-48K a year. In Texas I know some new graduates making 50K - 65K+ a year and a few in Oklahoma at 99K+ a year at a newly opened facility. Some companies have a good flow of clients and use Zoom for remote counseling (maybe 30% of your client load). Some companies even focus only on remote counseling. You can get up to 35 clients a week within a few months which is a full load. You want to find a company that knows how to properly bill insurance companies and what qualifies, what needs to be pre-paid, etc., or you will be making little money as half your fees will be tied up in disputes with the insurance companies. The companies good at this, will be a pleasure to work for, those that are not will be stressful as you never really know how much you make from one week to the next regardless of how many clients you have. Some companies charge you for oversight but many do not because they like the lower cost of new graduate counselors.

[@techtotherapy]

Thanks for your thorough message! It sounds like you already know a lot about this space! How has your experience been?

[@DejaLanae]

Im in Wisconsin, for private practice my starting pay with an associate/training license is $39/hr. but you only get paid for hours where you are actually seeing clients (documentation and supervision meetings dont count). For clinics that have an 8 hr schedule you can expect to make less, probably like 33 an hour or less but with those jobs you atleast get paid regardless of if a client cancels or shows up, you also get benefits/pto., get paid for documentation and meeting times etc so it balances out

[@techtotherapy]

Oh wow $39/hour sounds amazing for starting pay! Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge

[@ts4231]

Definitely talk to new therapists in your area, not those who’ve been in a while. Pay is tough for a while post graduation. In our state you’re licensed and can have your own practice, but still require supervision until the 3k post grad hours are done. New therapists can’t be covered by insurance so it’s cash pay only. Average yearly salary is maybe 40k until you finish hours.

[@douglascounts4634]

"New therapists can’t be covered by insurance"

[@techtotherapy]

Thanks for your comment! I'm guessing you're a licensed therapist and have been through this journey already?

[@rubalkaur9132]

Hi mam! i have completed bachelors in 4 year program (b.a. b.ed integrated) .I wish to pursue masters in counseling or social work . Can i pursue masters in any of these fields Or i need to do a bachelors related to these ?pls guide.

[@techtotherapy]

Thanks for your comment! It probably depends on the program you apply to, but from my research most of the placing I was looking at didn't require a psych undergrad degree! At most, some of the grad programs required some intro psych classes, but you can also take those at a community college too!

[@adammorra3813]

52k? Jesus I realize this is not for me.

[@techtotherapy]

I would encourage you to research how therapists can make more money if you're interested in this field! I'm also just starting out, and this is just what I found talking to people around me!

[@adammorra3813]

@techtotherapy i appreciate your feeding but i will live vicariously through you. Thank you for putting these guides and sharing your experience. Maybe one day I'll be reaching out to you for therapy

[@techtotherapy]

Haha that's very kind of you 🥰

[@lenazell5548]

I would love to talk with you personally, if you’re willing! I just quit my tech job and my heart is in mental health counseling, but I’m so afraid of getting into a bunch of debt from school and simultaneously being broke, which would just be a new type of burnout. I’d love to hear your thoughts 🩵

[@techtotherapy]

Hiii! Thanks for reaching out! If you're still wanting to chat DM me on IG and I'll get back to you🥰🥰