Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors salary
- 10th pct
- $38,940
- Middle 50%
- $47,100–$76,530
- 90th pct
- $97,590
The BLS estimates 491,930 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors jobs in the U.S. with a median base pay of $59,350 ($28.53 an hour) (May 2025, SOC 21-1018). Across 370 metros with published figures, medians range from $32,580 in Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area to $81,120 in Anchorage, AK.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE491,930 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall U.S. employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · United States
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Where Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors earn the most
370 metros · BLS
Highest-paying metros
| Metro | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $81,120 | 810 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $80,770 | 350 |
| Salem, OR | $78,870 | 560 |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $78,420 | 380 |
| Bellingham, WA | $77,620 | 440 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $76,600 | 280 |
| Lincoln, NE | $76,480 | 560 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $76,350 | 310 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $75,940 | 310 |
| Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $75,900 | 540 |
Largest metros
| Metro | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $51,910 | 26,960 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,020 | 26,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,600 | 15,580 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $58,140 | 14,920 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $62,130 | 11,150 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $57,290 | 10,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $68,400 | 9,520 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $65,270 | 9,030 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $62,810 | 8,480 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $66,020 | 7,950 |
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All metros (A–Z)
BLS
Akron, OH · Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY · Albuquerque, NM · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ · Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX · Bakersfield-Delano, CA · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Boise City, ID · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT · Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · Cleveland, OH · Colorado Springs, CO · Columbia, SC · Columbus, OH · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Eugene-Springfield, OR · Fresno, CA · Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI · Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC · Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA · Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN · Jacksonville, FL · Kansas City, MO-KS · Knoxville, TN · Lancaster, PA · Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN · Madison, WI · Manchester-Nashua, NH · Memphis, TN-MS-AR · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · Modesto, CA · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN · New Haven, CT · New Orleans-Metairie, LA · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area · Ogden, UT · Oklahoma City, OK · Omaha, NE-IA · Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL · Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Pittsburgh, PA · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · Providence-Warwick, RI-MA · Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT · Raleigh-Cary, NC · Richmond, VA · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · Rochester, NY · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · Salt Lake City-Murray, UT · San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA · Springfield, MA · St. Louis, MO-IL · Stockton-Lodi, CA · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · Toledo, OH · Trenton-Princeton, NJ · Tucson, AZ · Tulsa, OK · Urban Honolulu, HI · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Worcester, MA
Questions
What is the median Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors salary in the U.S.?
$59,350 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $47,100–$76,530.
How much do Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors make an hour?
The BLS U.S. median is $28.53 an hour (May 2025). The middle half earn $22.65–$36.80 an hour, and the 90th percentile is $46.92. These are straight-time wages, before overtime and shift differentials.
Where do Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors earn the most?
Highest metro medians: Anchorage, AK ($81,120), San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA ($80,770), Salem, OR ($78,870). 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.