Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in the US
A substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earns a national median of $59,350 a year (mean $64,440) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #436 of 825.
How much does a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn in the US?
A substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the United States earns a median of $59,350 a year (mean $64,440), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 16% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 491,930 people work in this occupation (SOC 21-1018), ranked #436 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$59,350
per year
Mean
$64,440
per year
Employment
491,930
US workers
National rank
#436
of 825 by median
What a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (SOC 21-1018) earns a median annual wage of $59,350 and a mean (average) of $64,440. The median is the midpoint — half of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn more and half earn less — and is 16% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is $59,350, and the mean (average) is $64,440. The median is the midpoint — half of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn more and half earn less.
- How does substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors pay compare to the US average?
- At $59,350, a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earns 16% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 491,930 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors employed nationally (SOC 21-1018), across all industries.
- Where does this substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 21-1018. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
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Find substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 21-1018 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries