Outpaid

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers salary

The BLS estimates 132,810 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers jobs in the U.S. with a median base pay of $60,280 (May 2025, SOC 21-1023). Across 118 metros with published figures, medians range from $25,880 in Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area to $109,050 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.

MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SOCIAL WORKERS · UNITED STATES · BLS
BLS · UNITED STATES · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$39,740P25$47,070MEDIAN$60,280P75$79,730P90$104,170
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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HIGHEST-PAYING METROS

  1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$109,050 · 1,010 jobs
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$87,550 · 1,990 jobs
  3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$87,370 · 1,310 jobs
  4. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$83,150 · 1,330 jobs
  5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$82,450 · 12,090 jobs
  6. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$81,990 · 460 jobs
  7. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$79,940 · 360 jobs
  8. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$79,870 · 410 jobs
  9. Waterbury-Shelton, CT$78,640 · 210 jobs
  10. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$78,410 · 9,380 jobs

LARGEST METROS

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$82,450 · 12,090 jobs
  2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$78,410 · 9,380 jobs
  3. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$63,830 · 4,660 jobs
  4. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$46,340 · 2,870 jobs
  5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$47,390 · 2,720 jobs
  6. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$75,020 · 2,500 jobs
  7. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$57,720 · 2,450 jobs
  8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$78,210 · 2,180 jobs
  9. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$54,510 · 2,140 jobs
  10. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$87,550 · 1,990 jobs

EMPLOYERS WITH THE MOST VISA-SPONSORED FILINGS FOR THIS JOB

ALL METROS (A–Z)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Cleveland, OH · Columbus, OH · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · Providence-Warwick, RI-MA · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Questions

What is the median Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers salary in the U.S.?

$60,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $47,070–$79,730.

Where do Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn the most?

Highest metro medians: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($109,050), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($87,550), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($87,370). Cost of living differs, so compare offers locally.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025 (metro, state and national estimates). Employer filing counts: U.S. DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data FY2026 Q3, visa-sponsored positions only.