Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Wages
SOC 21-1018 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is $53,710 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $36,700 and the 90th percentile is $89,920, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
397,880
P10
$36,700
P25
$44,600
Median
$53,710
P75
$70,130
P90
$89,920
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $53,710 | $60,080 | $36,700 | $89,920 | 397,880 | — |
| 2022 | $49,710 | $56,230 | $34,580 | $82,710 | 344,970 | -7.45% |
| 2021 | $48,520 | $53,490 | $30,870 | $77,980 | 310,880 | -2.39% |
| 2020 | $47,660 | $51,550 | $30,590 | $78,700 | 293,620 | -1.77% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors. The highest median is in Alaska at $70,860, 32% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $70,860 | +31.9% | $77,430 | 1,120 |
| District of Columbia | $64,270 | +19.7% | $67,750 | 1,060 |
| Wyoming | $62,990 | +17.3% | $66,430 | 820 |
| Utah | $62,870 | +17.1% | $70,310 | 3,850 |
| New Mexico | $62,120 | +15.7% | $66,190 | 2,110 |
| Oregon | $62,070 | +15.6% | $66,260 | 6,420 |
| North Dakota | $61,240 | +14% | $66,200 | 920 |
| New Jersey | $60,250 | +12.2% | $67,250 | 13,320 |
| New York | $59,740 | +11.2% | $67,240 | 24,420 |
| Iowa | $59,000 | +9.8% | $61,770 | 2,680 |
| Wisconsin | $58,740 | +9.4% | $66,230 | 8,060 |
| Connecticut | $58,710 | +9.3% | $61,100 | 6,960 |
| Arizona | $58,640 | +9.2% | $60,640 | 8,110 |
| Washington | $58,540 | +9% | $63,490 | 12,080 |
| Idaho | $58,360 | +8.7% | $58,990 | 1,630 |
| Nebraska | $58,320 | +8.6% | $58,720 | 1,720 |
| Colorado | $58,110 | +8.2% | $62,380 | 13,290 |
| California | $58,080 | +8.1% | $66,970 | 54,660 |
| Nevada | $57,580 | +7.2% | $59,820 | 2,020 |
| Illinois | $57,500 | +7.1% | $63,450 | 14,710 |
| Oklahoma | $57,190 | +6.5% | $61,760 | 5,010 |
| Vermont | $56,980 | +6.1% | $58,880 | 920 |
| Arkansas | $56,730 | +5.6% | $66,180 | 2,520 |
| Michigan | $56,160 | +4.6% | $57,560 | 9,110 |
| Massachusetts | $54,920 | +2.3% | $58,720 | 17,290 |
| Virginia | $54,590 | +1.6% | $58,610 | 15,720 |
| New Hampshire | $54,470 | +1.4% | $57,110 | 2,310 |
| Maryland | $54,460 | +1.4% | $61,860 | 7,690 |
| Maine | $53,900 | +0.4% | $57,610 | 960 |
| Montana | $52,490 | -2.3% | $53,690 | 1,880 |
| Florida | $52,260 | -2.7% | $56,980 | 19,310 |
| Texas | $52,190 | -2.8% | $55,780 | 18,840 |
| North Carolina | $51,790 | -3.6% | $56,510 | 9,980 |
| Minnesota | $51,130 | -4.8% | $54,420 | 6,550 |
| Kansas | $50,990 | -5.1% | $54,170 | 1,950 |
| Ohio | $50,580 | -5.8% | $57,300 | 16,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,450 | -6.1% | $56,090 | 24,040 |
| South Dakota | $48,520 | -9.7% | $50,960 | 1,620 |
| Georgia | $48,290 | -10.1% | $53,760 | 7,890 |
| Missouri | $48,130 | -10.4% | $55,910 | 5,790 |
| South Carolina | $47,480 | -11.6% | $49,310 | 3,980 |
| Kentucky | $47,060 | -12.4% | $53,690 | 6,610 |
| Hawaii | $46,740 | -13% | $61,530 | 1,330 |
| Rhode Island | $46,030 | -14.3% | $50,110 | 1,430 |
| Delaware | $45,810 | -14.7% | $51,220 | 1,500 |
| Indiana | $45,510 | -15.3% | $49,750 | 10,230 |
| Tennessee | $45,490 | -15.3% | $49,280 | 5,220 |
| Alabama | $44,890 | -16.4% | $47,900 | 3,110 |
| West Virginia | $44,140 | -17.8% | $47,520 | 1,640 |
| Mississippi | $42,010 | -21.8% | $47,500 | 1,990 |
| Louisiana | $36,430 | -32.2% | $42,280 | 5,190 |