If you’ve finished your master’s degree and are working toward independent licensure, your job search has an extra filter: the employer has to accept your associate credential and, ideally, help you get supervised hours.
On October 27, 2026, 78 of the 1,279 live listings on BehavioralHealth.careers named an associate-level or pre-clinical credential as acceptable. They came from 19 employers, including outpatient and intensive outpatient programs, psychiatric hospitals and telehealth companies.
Most showed pay (46 of 78), but many of those ranges cover licensed and associate clinicians together. A handful of employers post associate pay separately, and those postings tell you the most.
What counts as an associate credential
The title depends on your state and profession. Some common ones:
| State | Credential | What the rules say |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | LPC Associate | 3,000 hours of supervised experience, including at least 1,500 hours of direct client counseling, over at least 18 months (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 681.92) |
| California | AMFT, ASW, APCC | In private practice, associates need an active registration and a supervisor employed or contracted by, or owning, the practice. In any setting, they must be W-2 employees or volunteers, not independent contractors (BBS supervision agreement) |
| Florida | Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI) | Must register before post-master’s experience, “must remain under supervision,” and registration is valid for five years (Fla. Stat. § 491.0045) |
| Virginia | Resident in Counseling | Residency with at least 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact and 200 hours of supervision, completed over at least 21 months; residents may not call themselves professional counselors or bill directly (18 VAC 115-20-52) |
| Maryland | Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) | Generally may practice “for 2 years under the supervision of an approved supervisor” (Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists) |
Social workers follow a different ladder.
In many states, a master’s-level license such as the LMSW, or the LGSW in Maryland, comes before clinical licensure, and clinical work under that license requires supervision.
In Virginia, for example, Blackbird Health’s full-time therapist posting accepts an LMSW who holds or is eligible for the state’s supervisee in social work (SiSW) registration. Check your board’s rules.
Our guide to types of therapy licenses walks through each path.
Where the associate therapist jobs are
By employer. Kolmac Integrated Behavioral Health, an outpatient addiction and mental health provider, had 24 of the 78 listings (16 in Maryland, 6 in Virginia and 2 in Washington, D.C.), accepting credentials such as the LGPC, LGSW and LMSW. Amae Health had 7, as did Bright Harbor Healthcare in Toms River, New Jersey, whose postings name the LAC (licensed associate counselor). Charlie Health had 6.
By state. Maryland (17 listings) led, followed by California and Texas (12 each), Virginia (9) and New Jersey (7). That reflects which employers are on our board, not the national market.
By setting. The larger groups:
- Intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization and residential addiction programs (Kolmac, Sandstone Care, The Recovery Village, Boca Recovery Center)
- Inpatient psychiatric hospitals in Texas and California (San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Georgetown in Texas; Northern California Behavioral Health System, Charter Oak and Vista del Mar in California)
- Outpatient therapy and care coordination in New Jersey (Bright Harbor Healthcare)
- Telehealth and virtual programs (Brave Health, Charlie Health, Amae Health)
- Eating disorder treatment (The Emily Program)
Remote options. Seven of the 78 listings were remote. Brave Health posted remote roles for Indiana LMHCAs, Georgia LMSWs and LAPCs, and New York LMSWs.
Amae Health posted a part-time virtual therapist role in California open to AMFTs, ACSWs and APCCs, at $48 to $55 an hour.
Charlie Health posted remote group facilitator roles for California associates (APCC, ASW, AMFT) at up to $55 an hour, with group supervision every other Friday.
What associate therapists are paid
Most posted ranges on our board apply to everyone who qualifies, licensed or not. These postings separate associate pay or are associate-only roles:
| Employer | Role | Location | Posted pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Recovery Village | Licensed therapist | Upper Marlboro, Maryland | Preliminary license: $70,720 to $81,120 a year. Independent license: $79,040 to $93,600 |
| The Recovery Village | Licensed therapist, residential | Raytown, Missouri | Preliminary license: $66,560 to $73,216 a year. Independent license: $74,880 to $87,776 |
| The Recovery Village | PRN licensed clinician | Salem, Oregon | Preliminary license: up to $40.12 an hour. Independent license: up to $49.56 |
| The Emily Program | Therapist | Dunwoody, Georgia | Associate: $60,000 to $68,000 a year. Independent: $70,000 to $75,000 |
| The Emily Program | Therapist I or II | Durham, North Carolina | Associate (Therapist I): $55,000 to $65,000 a year. Independent (Therapist II): $65,000 to $75,000 |
| Amae Health | Part-time virtual therapist | California, remote | Associate: $48 to $55 an hour. Licensed: $58 to $68 |
| Brave Health | LMHCA | Indiana, remote | $60,000 to $63,000 a year |
| LifeStance Health | Candidate licensed therapist (LPCC, LSW, MFTC, SWC) | Fort Collins, Colorado | $41,000 to $60,000 a year |
Source: BehavioralHealth.careers live listings and listing text, October 27, 2026. Single postings, not medians.
For comparison, salaried therapist, counselor and social worker listings across the board had a median posted range of $65,000 to $97,800 (127 listings from 21 employers).
Where one posting shows both levels, the licensed range starts $8,320 to $10,000 a year higher on salaried roles, and about $10 an hour higher at Amae Health.
Benefits count too. Brave Health’s remote associate roles are W-2, full-time jobs, and its Georgia and New York postings offer free qualified supervision to those who meet its qualifications. Thirteen of Kolmac’s 33 listings name clinical supervision among their benefits.
Do LPC associates get paid? Yes.
Employers hire associates into paid roles, and 46 of the 78 associate-eligible listings on our board posted pay. The Texas hospital postings in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Georgetown that accept LPC Associates, LMFT Associates and LMSWs didn’t list pay, so ask early.
What postings say about supervision
Supervision is the line to read first. Postings on our board ranged from offering it to ruling it out:
- Offered: Northern California Behavioral Health System titles several Sacramento clinician postings “w/Clinical Supervision Assistance” and accepts AMFTs, ASWs and APCCs. Brave Health’s Georgia and New York remote postings offer “Free qualified supervision” to those who meet its qualifications. Kolmac lists clinical supervision among the benefits in 13 of its 33 listings. Amae Health’s Brooklyn posting notes onsite supervision for associate-level clinicians with limited permits.
- Considered: Boca Recovery Center’s Bloomington, Indiana therapist posting says clinicians “under supervision working toward full licensure will be considered.”
- Ruled out: Talkiatry’s 18 therapist listings say the role is “not designed for clinicians seeking supervision toward licensure.” Array Behavioral Care requires independent practice eligibility, with “no provisional licenses.” Brightline’s New York roles require an unrestricted license.
For practice owners planning these arrangements, our guide to hiring an associate therapist covers supervision, billing, pay and liability before the job is posted.
Questions to ask before you accept
- Who supervises, and does their credential count toward my license? Your state board decides which supervisors qualify.
- Is supervision free and on paid time? Some employers include it; others expect you to arrange and pay for your own.
- How many direct client hours will I get? Texas, for example, requires at least 1,500 direct counseling hours toward the LPC.
- How am I paid while my caseload builds? Salary, hourly and per-session pay carry different risks. If pay is per session, ask how documentation, supervision and other non-session time is paid.
- What changes when I’m fully licensed? Look for a stated raise or a separate licensed range, like those The Recovery Village and The Emily Program post.
- W-2 or 1099? California requires associates to be W-2 employees or volunteers, not independent contractors.
Associate jobs in San Antonio
San Antonio Behavioral Healthcare Hospital had four listings naming the LPC Associate on October 27, including inpatient, outpatient and intake counselor roles. None posted pay.
If you’re searching locally, filter our board for San Antonio and look for LPC Associate in the listing.
Frequently asked questions
What is an associate therapist?
A therapist who has a qualifying master’s degree and a state associate registration or license, and who provides therapy under supervision while completing the hours required for independent licensure. Titles vary by state: LPC Associate in Texas, AMFT, ASW or APCC in California, RMHCI in Florida, Resident in Counseling in Virginia, LGPC in Maryland.
What is the difference between an LPC and an LPC Associate?
In Texas, an LPC Associate practices under a Council-approved supervisor while completing 3,000 supervised hours. An LPC has completed those hours, met the requirements for full licensure, and can practice independently.
What is a registered mental health counselor intern?
In Florida, someone who has finished the required graduate education and registers with the state before starting post-master’s supervised experience. Interns must stay under supervision, and the registration lasts five years.
Can associate therapists work remotely?
Some can. On our board, Brave Health, Charlie Health and Amae Health posted remote or virtual roles open to associates. Your state’s supervision rules still apply, so ask how supervision works for remote staff.
Sources
- BehavioralHealth.careers live listings and listing text, read October 27, 2026 (1,279 published listings).
- Texas Administrative Code, 22 TAC § 681.92.
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Supervision Agreement.
- Florida Statutes, § 491.0045, Intern registration.
- Virginia Administrative Code, 18 VAC 115-20-52, Residency.
- Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor.
