occupation · 21-1018 · detailed
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — wages and employment
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors earned a median annual wage of $59,190 in the United States in May 2024, with 440,380 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors earned a median annual wage of $59,190 in the United States in May 2024, with 440,380 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $39,090 or less, the best-paid tenth $98,210 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $53,710 to $59,190, +10.2 %. The best-paying state is Alaska at $79,220; the lowest Louisiana at $40,200. Among metropolitan areas, Bend, OR pays the highest median, $82,380. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 440,380 | $59,190 | $65,100 | $39,090 | $47,170 | $76,230 | $98,210 | $28.46 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 397,880 | $53,710 | $60,080 | $36,700 | $44,600 | $70,130 | $89,920 | $25.82 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $79,220 | 1,060 |
| New Mexico | $70,770 | 2,070 |
| Oregon | $69,660 | 6,410 |
| North Dakota | $66,450 | 1,180 |
| District of Columbia | $66,140 | 980 |
| Utah | $65,920 | 4,720 |
| Idaho | $65,240 | 2,130 |
| New Jersey | $64,710 | 14,640 |
| Nebraska | $64,410 | 1,980 |
| Washington | $64,220 | 13,150 |
| Arizona | $63,830 | 8,970 |
| Connecticut | $62,960 | 6,470 |
| Wisconsin | $62,470 | 9,450 |
| New York | $62,070 | 22,450 |
| Wyoming | $61,640 | 840 |
| California | $61,310 | 63,110 |
| Maine | $60,970 | 1,610 |
| Iowa | $60,880 | 3,030 |
| Texas | $60,630 | 19,520 |
| Vermont | $60,410 | 1,150 |
| Illinois | $59,570 | 18,170 |
| Michigan | $59,530 | 11,090 |
| Nevada | $59,470 | 2,240 |
| Colorado | $59,190 | 13,670 |
| Massachusetts | $59,030 | 17,950 |
| Minnesota | $58,720 | 7,910 |
| Montana | $58,660 | 1,900 |
| Oklahoma | $58,610 | 4,460 |
| New Hampshire | $58,520 | 3,100 |
| Virginia | $58,410 | 16,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,320 | 26,510 |
| Maryland | $57,820 | 8,180 |
| Kansas | $57,760 | 2,410 |
| Ohio | $56,990 | 16,690 |
| Florida | $56,830 | 24,680 |
| Missouri | $56,640 | 7,500 |
| North Carolina | $56,470 | 8,930 |
| Georgia | $55,320 | 8,680 |
| Hawaii | $54,390 | 1,580 |
| South Dakota | $53,400 | 1,510 |
| Kentucky | $51,790 | 8,030 |
| South Carolina | $50,720 | 4,680 |
| Arkansas | $49,990 | 2,860 |
| Rhode Island | $49,770 | 1,560 |
| Delaware | $49,680 | 1,240 |
| Indiana | $49,280 | 10,400 |
| Alabama | $48,880 | 3,340 |
| Tennessee | $48,170 | 7,310 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,020 | 30 |
| Mississippi | $46,810 | 2,220 |
| West Virginia | $46,710 | 1,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,500 | 220 |
| Louisiana | $40,200 | 6,600 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | $82,380 | 390 |
| Ogden, UT | $81,300 | 800 |
| Anchorage, AK | $79,830 | 670 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $78,750 | 100 |
| Boulder, CO | $77,720 | 920 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $76,240 | 190 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $75,930 | 150 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $75,420 | 140 |
| Salem, OR | $74,810 | 460 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $74,670 | 2,520 |
| Logan, UT-ID | $74,400 | 200 |
| Vallejo, CA | $74,210 | 570 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $74,160 | 540 |
| Napa, CA | $73,960 | 190 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $73,300 | 720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,950 | 8,080 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $72,550 | 260 |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | $72,400 | 190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $72,380 | 800 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $71,530 | 3,640 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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