Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary
Community and Social Service Occupations · 492K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$59,350
Median hourly
$29
Average annual
$64,440
Typical range
$38,940–$97,590
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is $59,350 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $29 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Most earn between $38,940 and $97,590 a year. There are roughly 492K people employed as substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.
- Hourly
- $28.53
- Daily
- $228
- Weekly
- $1,141
- Bi-weekly
- $2,283
- Monthly
- $4,946
- Annual
- $59,350
$59,350 a year is around the 50th percentile for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselorss. The median is $59,350.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Alaska$80,770
- 2Oregon$74,590
- 3New Mexico$74,100
- 4Washington$68,910
- 5North Dakota$68,630
- 6Arizona$65,300
- 7Rhode Island$65,120
- 8Utah$63,890
- 9Nebraska$63,770
- 10Connecticut$63,590
- 11Idaho$63,360
- 12Wyoming$62,980
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Fairbanks-College, AK$83,680
- 2Anchorage, AK$81,120
- 3San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$80,770
- 4Albany, OR$78,910
- 5Salem, OR$78,870
- 6Bellingham, WA$77,620
- 7Lincoln, NE$76,480
- 8Las Cruces, NM$76,350
- 9Corvallis, OR$75,700
- 10Bend, OR$75,470
- 11Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$75,420
- 12Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$75,180
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors make?
- The median annual wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is $59,350 ($29 per hour). Pay ranges from about $38,940 at the 10th percentile to $97,590 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $64,440, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselorss the most?
- Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $80,770.
- Is Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 492K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.