Average Salary for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
SOC 21-1011 · Community and Social Service Occupations · 2016 data
The median annual wage for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors in the United States is $41,070 ($19.75/hr), based on 2016 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $26,210 at the 10th percentile to $65,080 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 91,040 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 4.6% since 2014.
Median Annual
$41,070
Mean Annual
$44,160
10th Pct
$26,210
75th Pct
$52,690
Employment
91,040
Salary Distribution
$26k
10th
$32k
25th
$41k
Median
$53k
75th
$65k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $73,950 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $65,310 |
| Madison, WI | $63,880 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $58,950 |
| Kingston, NY | $57,300 |
| Napa, CA | $57,100 |
| Modesto, CA | $55,750 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $55,670 |
| Bismarck, ND | $54,300 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $53,970 |
| New Haven, CT | $53,790 |
| Waterbury, CT | $53,740 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $53,440 |
| Wilmington, NC | $53,430 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $53,250 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| North Dakota | $53,990 |
| Alaska | $52,400 |
| New Jersey | $50,010 |
| New Mexico | $49,780 |
| New York | $48,660 |
| Connecticut | $47,430 |
| Vermont | $47,220 |
| Wyoming | $47,140 |
| Maine | $46,890 |
| Nevada | $46,130 |
| Minnesota | $46,070 |
| District of Columbia | $45,050 |
| New Hampshire | $44,740 |
| Maryland | $43,920 |
| Montana | $43,380 |
| Wisconsin | $43,310 |
| Florida | $43,280 |
| Idaho | $42,990 |
| North Carolina | $42,640 |
| Oklahoma | $42,320 |
| Ohio | $41,950 |
| Massachusetts | $41,910 |
| Hawaii | $41,560 |
| Virginia | $41,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,800 |
| Alabama | $40,130 |
| Colorado | $39,600 |
| California | $39,500 |
| Kentucky | $39,070 |
| Nebraska | $39,030 |
| Oregon | $38,890 |
| Georgia | $38,720 |
| South Dakota | $38,710 |
| Arizona | $38,590 |
| Tennessee | $38,530 |
| Louisiana | $38,460 |
| Utah | $38,160 |
| Rhode Island | $37,890 |
| Iowa | $37,500 |
| Washington | $37,210 |
| Delaware | $37,210 |
| Texas | $37,030 |
| Indiana | $36,870 |
| Michigan | $36,570 |
| South Carolina | $35,550 |
| Illinois | $35,390 |
| Missouri | $35,200 |
| Kansas | $33,650 |
| Arkansas | $33,540 |
| West Virginia | $32,180 |
| Mississippi | $27,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,550 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors broken down by industry sector, 2016 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | $76,390 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $57,900 |
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $56,500 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $56,190 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $56,060 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $55,690 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $55,690 |
| Educational Support Services | $55,620 |
| Finance and Insurance | $55,010 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $54,750 |
| Insurance Carriers | $54,750 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $54,750 |
| Educational Services | $54,660 |
| Educational Services | $53,800 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $53,330 |
| Hospitals | $50,820 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | $50,070 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $49,610 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $49,130 |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $48,510 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | $48,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $46,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $46,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $46,990 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | $46,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (excluding state and local schools and hospitals) | $45,980 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (excluding state and local schools and hospitals) | $45,980 |
| Offices of Physicians | $45,900 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $45,810 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $45,810 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | $45,330 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $43,950 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $43,150 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $42,880 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $42,870 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $42,600 |
| Home Health Care Services | $41,790 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $40,830 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $40,740 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $40,570 |
| Employment Services | $40,570 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $40,510 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $39,930 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $39,820 |
| Cross-industry, private ownership only | $39,770 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $39,640 |
| Temporary Help Services | $39,290 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $39,220 |
| Individual and Family Services | $39,130 |
| Social Assistance | $38,970 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $38,620 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $38,620 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $37,990 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $37,730 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $37,050 |
| Facilities Support Services | $36,990 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $36,860 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $36,740 |
| Child Day Care Services | $36,160 |
| Religious Organizations | $35,870 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $35,470 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $34,110 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $30,720 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $26,960 |
| Personal Care Services | $26,960 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $23,910 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $41,070 |
| 2015 | $39,980 |
| 2014 | $39,270 |