Average Salary for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
SOC 21-1018 · Community and Social Service Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the United States is $59,190 ($28.46/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $39,090 at the 10th percentile to $98,210 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 440,380 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 36.7% since 2017.
Median Annual
$59,190
Mean Annual
$65,100
10th Pct
$39,090
75th Pct
$76,230
Employment
440,380
Salary Distribution
$39k
10th
$47k
25th
$59k
Median
$76k
75th
$98k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Bend, OR | $82,380 |
| Ogden, UT | $81,300 |
| Anchorage, AK | $79,830 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $78,750 |
| Boulder, CO | $77,720 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $76,240 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $75,930 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $75,420 |
| Salem, OR | $74,810 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $74,670 |
| Logan, UT-ID | $74,400 |
| Vallejo, CA | $74,210 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $74,160 |
| Napa, CA | $73,960 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $73,300 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $79,220 |
| New Mexico | $70,770 |
| Oregon | $69,660 |
| North Dakota | $66,450 |
| District of Columbia | $66,140 |
| Utah | $65,920 |
| Idaho | $65,240 |
| New Jersey | $64,710 |
| Nebraska | $64,410 |
| Washington | $64,220 |
| Arizona | $63,830 |
| Connecticut | $62,960 |
| Wisconsin | $62,470 |
| New York | $62,070 |
| Wyoming | $61,640 |
| California | $61,310 |
| Maine | $60,970 |
| Iowa | $60,880 |
| Texas | $60,630 |
| Vermont | $60,410 |
| Illinois | $59,570 |
| Michigan | $59,530 |
| Nevada | $59,470 |
| Colorado | $59,190 |
| Massachusetts | $59,030 |
| Minnesota | $58,720 |
| Montana | $58,660 |
| Oklahoma | $58,610 |
| New Hampshire | $58,520 |
| Virginia | $58,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,320 |
| Maryland | $57,820 |
| Kansas | $57,760 |
| Ohio | $56,990 |
| Florida | $56,830 |
| Missouri | $56,640 |
| North Carolina | $56,470 |
| Georgia | $55,320 |
| Hawaii | $54,390 |
| South Dakota | $53,400 |
| Kentucky | $51,790 |
| South Carolina | $50,720 |
| Arkansas | $49,990 |
| Rhode Island | $49,770 |
| Delaware | $49,680 |
| Indiana | $49,280 |
| Alabama | $48,880 |
| Tennessee | $48,170 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,020 |
| Mississippi | $46,810 |
| West Virginia | $46,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,500 |
| Louisiana | $40,200 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | $84,770 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $82,290 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $81,630 |
| Insurance Carriers | $81,630 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $80,710 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $80,250 |
| Finance and Insurance | $80,250 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $77,470 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $72,450 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $72,450 |
| Offices of Physicians | $69,220 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $67,770 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $67,050 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $66,710 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $66,000 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,670 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,670 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,600 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $64,910 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $64,910 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $64,550 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $63,890 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $63,330 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,220 |
| Office Administrative Services | $63,200 |
| Home Health Care Services | $62,400 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $62,300 |
| Educational Services | $62,190 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $62,170 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $61,790 |
| Hospitals | $61,240 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $60,890 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $60,410 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $60,410 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $60,410 |
| Facilities Support Services | $60,200 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $59,890 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $59,700 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $59,570 |
| Child Care Services | $59,070 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $58,780 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $58,280 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $58,200 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $58,200 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $58,130 |
| Individual and Family Services | $57,080 |
| Social Assistance | $57,010 |
| Educational Services | $56,990 |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $56,980 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $56,300 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $56,230 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $56,230 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $54,910 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $53,110 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $52,820 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $52,580 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $52,580 |
| Employment Services | $52,570 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $52,350 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $52,130 |
| Temporary Help Services | $50,180 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $50,120 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $50,020 |
| Religious Organizations | $49,990 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $49,950 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $49,760 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $49,670 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $49,610 |
| Educational Support Services | $49,230 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $48,580 |
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $48,540 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $48,490 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $47,330 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $46,360 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $59,190 |
| 2023 | $53,710 |
| 2022 | $49,710 |
| 2021 | $48,520 |
| 2020 | $47,660 |
| 2019 | $46,240 |
| 2018 | $44,630 |
| 2017 | $43,300 |