Therapist Job Description Template
A copy-paste posting for a licensed or associate therapist, written around the three things candidates filter on: license, pay model and caseload.
Therapist postings fail in a predictable way: they say "licensed therapist" without naming which licenses count, hide the pay model, and describe the caseload in one line.
A candidate holding an LMFT in a state where you only credential LCSWs, or an associate who needs supervision you do not offer, will either skip the posting or waste an interview.
The template below makes each of those decisions explicit, with notes on where your state's rules change the wording.
At a glance
BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOCs 21-1018, 21-1023, 21-1013
Median pay
$59,350–$66,940
in your state's letters
Licenses to name
LCSW, LPC-type, LMFT
and who supervises
Associates
Say yes or no
before day one
Verify with
The state licensing board
What to include
The licenses you accept, in your state's titles.
A professional counselor is an LPC in some states, an LMHC, LPCC or LCPC in others; see the counselor title map.
List every license you will credential, and say whether an associate license (LPC Associate, LMSW, AMFT or your state's equivalent) is welcome.
Supervision, if you hire associates.
Who supervises, whether the supervision is provided at no cost to the associate, and whether the hours count toward licensure in this role.
Candidates weigh this as heavily as pay; see who pays for clinical supervision.
The pay model.
Salary, salary plus per-session incentive, or fee-for-service, with the range.
Federal overtime rules require therapists to be paid on a salary basis to be exempt, so a W-2 per-session-only posting carries risk; say how no-shows and documentation time are handled.
Caseload and setting.
Ages, presenting problems, modalities, telehealth or in-person, the productivity expectation, and any on-call duties.
If telehealth reaches clients in other states, say which licenses the role needs.
The template
Replace everything in [brackets].
Delete the associate lines if you only hire independently licensed clinicians, and delete the compact line if your state is not a Counseling Compact state.
[Practice Name] — Therapist ([LCSW / LPC / LMFT — use your state's titles]) Location: [City, State] · [In-person / Hybrid / Telehealth] Employment type: [Full-time / Part-time] · W-2 Pay: [Salary range, or salary plus per-session incentive — state the structure] About the role [Practice Name] is hiring a therapist to provide outpatient psychotherapy to [population — e.g., adults and adolescents with anxiety, depression and trauma]. We accept an active [LCSW, LPC, LMFT — list every license you credential] in good standing in [State], verified with the state licensing board before your first day. [ASSOCIATES — keep or delete: We also welcome [LPC Associate / LMSW / AMFT — your state's associate titles]. Associates receive [weekly individual / group] supervision from [supervisor's license] at no cost, and hours in this role count toward licensure.] What you'll do - Provide individual [and couples/family/group] therapy to a caseload of [number] clients a week - Complete intake assessments, treatment plans and progress notes in [EHR name] within [timeframe] - Coordinate care with psychiatric prescribers, primary care and schools with client consent - Assess risk and follow our safety-planning and crisis protocols - [Participate in case consultation / provide supervision if independently licensed] What you'll need - An active [State] license: [list], or an associate license with an approved supervision plan - [Specific training or modality — e.g., trauma-focused CBT, EMDR — only if the role truly requires it] - [Counseling Compact privilege accepted for counselors licensed in another compact state] Pay and benefits - [Salary range] [plus per-session incentive above [number] sessions a week] - [How no-shows and documentation time are paid] - [Health insurance, retirement, paid time off, CE allowance, license fees] Schedule [Days and hours; evening availability; on-call, if any] To apply [How to apply]. [Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
After you post
Verify the license before the offer is final.
Look it up on the state board's site and record the result; if the role bills Medicare or Medicaid, search the OIG exclusion list too.
See hiring compliance: license verification and exclusion checks.
Start credentialing early.
Medicare has paid LMFTs and licensed mental health counselors directly since January 1, 2024, but enrolment is required in each state where services are given, and commercial panels publish no standard timeline.
Begin the NPI, Medicare and CAQH steps before the start date.
California: associates and trainees may only work as employees or volunteers, not as independent contractors, and may not be paid by clients.
Post associate roles as W-2 there.
The Therapist Hiring Market Right Now
The therapist openings you are competing with, from the 1,959 active listings on BehavioralHires as of October 29, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
Where the openings are
- Pennsylvania160
- Virginia132
- Massachusetts121
- California118
- Illinois102
Pay employers post
- Median $37.50 an hour; the middle half of posted pay runs $33.50 to $39 (101 listings that state an hourly rate; 59 of them from Universal Health Services)
- 17% of therapist listings state any pay at all, so posting a range helps yours stand out.
Benefits and work arrangement
- 17% remote or telehealth and 17% hybrid; the rest are on-site
- 401k Matchnamed in 73%
- Health Insurancenamed in 61%
- PTO / Paid Time Offnamed in 58%
- Dental & Visionnamed in 56%
- Flexible Schedulenamed in 46%
Source: active therapist listings on BehavioralHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range). Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
See the listings →Ready to post your therapist opening?
Post it on BehavioralHires, or go back to the full hiring guide for verification, pay and onboarding.