Average Salary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
SOC 21-1023 · Community and Social Service Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers in the United States is $60,060 ($28.88/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $39,620 at the 10th percentile to $104,130 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 125,910 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 45.1% since 2014.
Median Annual
$60,060
Mean Annual
$68,290
10th Pct
$39,620
75th Pct
$78,980
Employment
125,910
Salary Distribution
$40k
10th
$47k
25th
$60k
Median
$79k
75th
$104k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $116,630 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $102,760 |
| Vallejo, CA | $98,680 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $97,490 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $93,390 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $89,500 |
| Elmira, NY | $87,530 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $84,150 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $83,710 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,490 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $82,440 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $80,490 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $79,170 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $78,820 |
| Rochester, MN | $78,660 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| New York | $80,230 |
| Connecticut | $78,820 |
| Minnesota | $77,100 |
| California | $75,320 |
| District of Columbia | $72,720 |
| Oregon | $71,830 |
| New Jersey | $70,420 |
| Hawaii | $70,340 |
| Vermont | $69,540 |
| Washington | $69,060 |
| Maine | $67,820 |
| New Mexico | $65,600 |
| Colorado | $65,080 |
| Massachusetts | $64,960 |
| New Hampshire | $63,810 |
| Virginia | $63,530 |
| North Dakota | $61,660 |
| Maryland | $61,100 |
| Rhode Island | $60,490 |
| Michigan | $60,000 |
| Illinois | $58,090 |
| Alaska | $57,650 |
| Delaware | $57,620 |
| Wisconsin | $57,590 |
| North Carolina | $56,730 |
| Kansas | $56,110 |
| Indiana | $54,410 |
| Idaho | $50,900 |
| Florida | $50,860 |
| Georgia | $50,810 |
| Iowa | $50,340 |
| Nevada | $49,850 |
| Arkansas | $49,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,590 |
| South Dakota | $49,560 |
| Mississippi | $48,830 |
| Tennessee | $48,760 |
| West Virginia | $47,840 |
| Arizona | $46,650 |
| Ohio | $46,330 |
| Missouri | $46,250 |
| Kentucky | $45,450 |
| Nebraska | $45,120 |
| Texas | $44,790 |
| Louisiana | $44,050 |
| Montana | $43,880 |
| Oklahoma | $43,190 |
| Wyoming | $42,220 |
| Alabama | $42,100 |
| South Carolina | $41,750 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,350 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $92,650 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $91,580 |
| Finance and Insurance | $91,580 |
| Insurance Carriers | $91,520 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $90,010 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $90,010 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $84,640 |
| Temporary Help Services | $81,860 |
| Home Health Care Services | $81,810 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $81,220 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $79,680 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $77,560 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $77,470 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,330 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,330 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $76,330 |
| Offices of Physicians | $75,200 |
| Educational Support Services | $74,890 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $72,520 |
| Educational Services | $72,050 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $69,720 |
| Educational Services | $68,500 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $68,040 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $68,040 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $67,750 |
| Hospitals | $67,280 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $67,270 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $66,410 |
| Child Care Services | $65,630 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,570 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $65,000 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $64,780 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,470 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $63,590 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $62,830 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $61,120 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $60,540 |
| Employment Services | $60,450 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $59,330 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $58,690 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $58,150 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $58,130 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $58,130 |
| Individual and Family Services | $58,080 |
| Religious Organizations | $57,590 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $57,060 |
| Social Assistance | $56,220 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $53,990 |
| Legal Services | $53,490 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $53,470 |
| Office Administrative Services | $52,740 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $51,460 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $50,560 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $50,180 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $50,160 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $50,090 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $50,030 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $49,580 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $49,560 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $48,790 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $47,020 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $43,410 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $43,410 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $38,900 |
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $38,890 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $60,060 |
| 2023 | $55,960 |
| 2022 | $51,240 |
| 2021 | $49,130 |
| 2020 | $48,720 |
| 2019 | $46,650 |
| 2018 | $44,840 |
| 2017 | $43,250 |
| 2016 | $42,700 |
| 2015 | $42,170 |
| 2014 | $41,380 |