SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 21-1023.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $39,740 | $3,312 | $764 | $19.11 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $47,070 | $3,922 | $905 | $22.63 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $60,280 | $5,023 | $1,159 | $28.98 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $79,730 | $6,644 | $1,533 | $38.33 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $104,170 | $8,681 | $2,003 | $50.08 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is $60,280, which is 18% higher. Among the 17 occupations of the field Community and Social Service, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 132,810 jobs, it makes up about 8.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($68,030) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in New York ($79,380), California ($79,000) and Connecticut ($78,640). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($26,500), South Carolina ($39,930) and Alabama ($41,500). The most jobs were in California (19,860), New York (14,820) and Texas (8,220). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 3.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 14,820 | $79,380 | $86,110 | $38.16 |
| California | 19,860 | $79,000 | $91,050 | $37.98 |
| Connecticut | 1,540 | $78,640 | $78,250 | $37.81 |
| Minnesota | 3,590 | $75,020 | $74,420 | $36.07 |
| Maryland | 2,250 | $73,580 | $72,980 | $35.37 |
| District of Columbia | 510 | $73,310 | $83,340 | $35.25 |
| Vermont | 320 | $73,210 | $76,580 | $35.20 |
| Washington | 3,490 | $70,460 | $71,710 | $33.88 |
| Oregon | 2,230 | $68,210 | $73,050 | $32.79 |
| New Jersey | 2,420 | $66,590 | $70,930 | $32.02 |
| New Mexico | 800 | $65,640 | $69,720 | $31.56 |
| Colorado | 1,640 | $65,620 | $69,200 | $31.55 |
| Virginia | 3,670 | $64,240 | $72,020 | $30.89 |
| New Hampshire | 320 | $63,900 | $75,280 | $30.72 |
| Nevada | 1,100 | $62,900 | $63,790 | $30.24 |
| Massachusetts | 7,440 | $62,500 | $69,710 | $30.05 |
| Wisconsin | 1,880 | $61,860 | $64,960 | $29.74 |
| Rhode Island | 800 | $60,990 | $76,970 | $29.32 |
| North Dakota | 240 | $60,980 | $62,610 | $29.32 |
| Michigan | 4,620 | $60,830 | $62,940 | $29.25 |
| Delaware | 510 | $60,060 | $62,090 | $28.88 |
| Wyoming | 200 | $59,310 | $65,400 | $28.51 |
| Arkansas | 1,040 | $58,590 | $63,300 | $28.17 |
| North Carolina | 3,690 | $58,210 | $59,880 | $27.98 |
| Maine | 1,860 | $57,050 | $64,330 | $27.43 |
| Alaska | 250 | $56,710 | $60,380 | $27.26 |
| Kansas | 1,620 | $56,330 | $60,380 | $27.08 |
| Hawaii | not published | $54,390 | $62,340 | $26.15 |
| Idaho | 510 | $52,520 | $60,720 | $25.25 |
| Georgia | 1,330 | $52,030 | $57,470 | $25.02 |
| Florida | 5,150 | $51,590 | $55,310 | $24.80 |
| Utah | 1,240 | $50,770 | $63,570 | $24.41 |
| West Virginia | 420 | $50,070 | $52,000 | $24.07 |
| Illinois | 3,460 | $49,960 | $58,130 | $24.02 |
| Missouri | 1,640 | $49,560 | $53,470 | $23.83 |
| Mississippi | 920 | $48,970 | $50,750 | $23.55 |
| South Dakota | 230 | $48,920 | $53,400 | $23.52 |
| Iowa | 1,200 | $48,530 | $57,330 | $23.33 |
| Indiana | 2,490 | $48,300 | $53,990 | $23.22 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,500 | $48,290 | $52,850 | $23.21 |
| Louisiana | 970 | $47,100 | $51,070 | $22.64 |
| Texas | 8,220 | $46,630 | $53,450 | $22.42 |
| Tennessee | 2,220 | $46,500 | $50,000 | $22.36 |
| Arizona | 3,690 | $46,380 | $50,630 | $22.30 |
| Ohio | 6,050 | $46,080 | $51,110 | $22.16 |
| Montana | 740 | $45,160 | $52,180 | $21.71 |
| Nebraska | 900 | $43,240 | $45,760 | $20.79 |
| Oklahoma | 1,780 | $43,120 | $43,230 | $20.73 |
| Kentucky | 1,360 | $42,570 | $45,280 | $20.46 |
| Alabama | 740 | $41,500 | $45,480 | $19.95 |
| South Carolina | 720 | $39,930 | $43,820 | $19.20 |
| Puerto Rico | 350 | $26,500 | $30,280 | $12.74 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 a year
- Health Education Specialists$64,070 a year
- Clergy$60,810 a year
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550 a year
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$59,350 a year
- Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730 a year
Common questions
How much do Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $60,280 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $104,170.
How many people work as Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers?
About 132,810 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.