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Primary Therapist salary
Average primary therapist salary
$59,826
How much does a primary therapist make?
The average primary therapist salary in the United States is $59,826. Primary therapist salaries typically range between $43,000 and $83,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for primary therapists is $28.76 per hour.
Primary therapist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Primary therapists earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Primary Therapist earn more?
Primary Therapist Salaries By Experience Level
Primary Therapist salary estimates from across the web
Average primary therapist salary by state
Highest paying states for primary therapists
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $80,266 | $38.59 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $61,344 | $29.49 |
| 3 | Washington | $65,734 | $31.60 |
| 4 | Nevada | $76,865 | $36.95 |
| 5 | Oregon | $66,177 | $31.82 |
| 6 | Montana | $55,001 | $26.44 |
| 7 | Colorado | $57,992 | $27.88 |
| 8 | Idaho | $57,550 | $27.67 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $66,219 | $31.84 |
| 10 | Illinois | $55,648 | $26.75 |
| 11 | Alaska | $68,818 | $33.09 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $55,873 | $26.86 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $54,328 | $26.12 |
| 14 | Texas | $53,610 | $25.77 |
| 15 | Indiana | $47,671 | $22.92 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $51,269 | $24.65 |
| 17 | Missouri | $50,566 | $24.31 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $47,986 | $23.07 |
| 19 | Kansas | $49,715 | $23.90 |
| 20 | Utah | $52,964 | $25.46 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $52,742 | $25.36 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $49,143 | $23.63 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $53,193 | $25.57 |
| 24 | Iowa | $47,780 | $22.97 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $45,298 | $21.78 |
| 26 | Virginia | $49,767 | $23.93 |
| 27 | Michigan | $43,333 | $20.83 |
| 28 | Delaware | $44,496 | $21.39 |
| 29 | New York | $40,266 | $19.36 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $53,283 | $25.62 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $58,978 | $28.35 |
| 32 | Maryland | $41,782 | $20.09 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $45,625 | $21.94 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $48,701 | $23.41 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $43,719 | $21.02 |
| 36 | Alabama | $45,656 | $21.95 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,578 | $22.87 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $43,799 | $21.06 |
| 39 | Maine | $29,861 | $14.36 |
| 40 | Georgia | $41,416 | $19.91 |
| 41 | Ohio | $41,331 | $19.87 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $35,307 | $16.97 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $33,188 | $15.96 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $24,240 | $11.65 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $43,298 | $20.82 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $35,385 | $17.01 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $34,700 | $16.68 |
| 48 | Florida | $43,187 | $20.76 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $39,030 | $18.76 |
| 50 | Vermont | $31,801 | $15.29 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $28,566 | $13.73 |
Highest paying cities for primary therapists
The highest-paying cities for primary therapists are Thousand Oaks, CA, Seattle, WA, and Bend, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $80,719 | $38.81 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $66,078 | $31.77 |
| 3 | Bend, OR | $65,877 | $31.67 |
| 4 | Wheat Ridge, CO | $58,037 | $27.90 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $55,261 | $26.57 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $53,387 | $25.67 |
| 7 | North Brunswick, NJ | $48,515 | $23.32 |
| 8 | Leesburg, VA | $47,396 | $22.79 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $41,477 | $19.94 |
| 10 | Rochester, NY | $37,653 | $18.10 |
| 11 | Norwich, CT | $33,487 | $16.10 |
Primary Therapist salary details
A primary therapist's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a primary therapist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| Average | $59,826 | $4,986 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
Highest paying primary therapist jobs
The highest paying types of primary therapists are licensed professional counselor, counselor/art therapist, and lead therapist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addictions Counselor | $47,226 | $3,936 | $22.70 | 79,459 |
| Clinical Counselor | $54,191 | $4,516 | $26.05 | 146,133 |
| Alcohol And Drug Counselor | $45,758 | $3,813 | $22.00 | 77,461 |
| Substance Abuse Counselor | $43,069 | $3,589 | $20.71 | 78,643 |
| Mental Health Clinician | $54,359 | $4,530 | $26.13 | 91,347 |
| Clinician | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 105,023 |
Top companies hiring primary therapists now:
Which companies pay primary therapists the most?
Primary therapist salaries at Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Finger Lakes Community Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average primary therapist salary at companies like UMR and Polaris are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian Regional Healthcare | $74,947 | $36.03 |
| 2 | Finger Lakes Community Health | $72,975 | $35.08 |
| 3 | UMR | $72,859 | $35.03 |
| 4 | Polaris | $69,144 | $33.24 |
| 5 | Valley View Hospital | $66,633 | $32.04 |
| 6 | Children's of Alabama | $64,915 | $31.21 |
| 7 | Atrium Health Floyd | $63,076 | $30.32 |
| 8 | J. Morrissey & Company | $62,405 | $30.00 |
| 9 | Emory Healthcare | $61,369 | $29.50 |
| 10 | Mission | $61,268 | $29.46 |
| 11 | BayMark Health Services | $61,146 | $29.40 |
| 12 | SHODAIR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | $60,829 | $29.24 |
| 13 | Pathways | $60,759 | $29.21 |
| 14 | Seasoned | $60,558 | $29.11 |
| 15 | Clinical Management Consultants | $60,498 | $29.09 |
| 16 | Penn Medicine Princeton Health | $59,682 | $28.69 |
| 17 | Pacific Quest | $59,238 | $28.48 |
| 18 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $58,813 | $28.28 |
| 19 | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | $58,802 | $28.27 |
| 20 | Universal Health Services | $57,835 | $27.81 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Primary Therapist salary trends
The average primary therapist salary has risen by $11,654 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average primary therapist earned $48,172 annually, but today, they earn $59,826 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for primary therapists over the last decade.
Compare primary therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average primary therapist salary over time
Compare primary therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Primary Therapist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,800 | $28.76 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $57,300 | $27.54 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $55,100 | $26.47 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $53,100 | $25.53 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $52,400 | $25.21 | +1.2% |
Recently added primary therapist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eating Recovery Center | Primary Therapist I | Maryland | 12/16/2024 | $67,000 |
| Odyssey Outpatient | Primary Therapist | Warminster, PA | 12/16/2024 | $63,585 |
| Pathlightbh | Primary Therapist | Huntingtown, MD | 12/16/2024 | $67,000 |
| Alsana | Primary Therapist: Sun-Thurs From 10A-6P | Birmingham, AL | 12/15/2024 | $50,000 |
| Sandstone Care | Primary Outpatient Therapist | Silver Spring, MD | 12/14/2024 | $70,000 |
| New York Center for Living | Primary Therapist | New York, NY | 12/13/2024 | $66,625 |
| Clementine | Primary Therapist | Yorba Linda, CA | 12/11/2024 | $66,784 |
| Monte Nido | Primary Therapist | Linda, CA | 12/11/2024 | $66,560 |
| Pathlightbh | Primary Therapist, Float | Bellevue, WA | 12/11/2024 | $72,000 |
| A Better Life Recovery LLC | Primary Therapist-IOP Mental Healthcare | Arlington, VA | 12/10/2024 | $75,000 |
Primary Therapist salary FAQs
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