Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: salary, outlook & degrees
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.
Middle half $47,070–$79,730. 132,810 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
89% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $65,991.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 12,500 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 31% | Psychology |
| Social Work | 26% | Social Work |
| Sociology | 6% | Sociology |
| Family And Consumer Sciences | 4% | Human Development and Family Studies · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 3% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Nursing | 3% | Nursing |
| English Language And Literature | 2% | English |
| Communications | 2% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Human Services And Community Organization | 2% | Human Services · Community Organization and Advocacy |
| Miscellaneous Psychology | 1% | Psychology (Research) · Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New York | $79,380 |
| California | $79,000 |
| Connecticut | $78,640 |
| Minnesota | $75,020 |
| Maryland | $73,580 |
| District of Columbia | $73,310 |
| Vermont | $73,210 |
| Washington | $70,460 |
| Oregon | $68,210 |
| New Jersey | $66,590 |
| New Mexico | $65,640 |
| Colorado | $65,620 |
| Virginia | $64,240 |
| New Hampshire | $63,900 |
| Nevada | $62,900 |
| Massachusetts | $62,500 |
| Wisconsin | $61,860 |
| Rhode Island | $60,990 |
| North Dakota | $60,980 |
| Michigan | $60,830 |
| Delaware | $60,060 |
| Wyoming | $59,310 |
| Arkansas | $58,590 |
| North Carolina | $58,210 |
| Maine | $57,050 |
| Alaska | $56,710 |
| Kansas | $56,330 |
| Hawaii | $54,390 |
| Idaho | $52,520 |
| Georgia | $52,030 |
| Florida | $51,590 |
| Utah | $50,770 |
| West Virginia | $50,070 |
| Illinois | $49,960 |
| Missouri | $49,560 |
| Mississippi | $48,970 |
| South Dakota | $48,920 |
| Iowa | $48,530 |
| Indiana | $48,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,290 |
| Louisiana | $47,100 |
| Texas | $46,630 |
| Tennessee | $46,500 |
| Arizona | $46,380 |
| Ohio | $46,080 |
| Montana | $45,160 |
| Nebraska | $43,240 |
| Oklahoma | $43,120 |
| Kentucky | $42,570 |
| Alabama | $41,500 |
| South Carolina | $39,930 |
| PR | $26,500 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$51,510
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$52,730
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$49,940
- Jacksonville$54,420
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$53,300
- Port St. Lucie$47,630
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$48,010
- Gainesville$55,500
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$78,210
- Richmond$63,020
- Roanoke$58,320
- Kingsport-Bristol$44,950
- Lynchburg$58,320
- Staunton-Stuarts Draft$68,800
- Winchester$51,900
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$58,980
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$78,410
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$87,550
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$83,150
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$87,370
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$75,570
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$109,050
- Fresno$64,910
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$64,990
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge used
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
Work styles
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Sincerity
- Dependability
- Social Orientation
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: questions
How much do mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers make?
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn a U.S. median $60,280 a year; the middle half earn $47,070 to $79,730 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $62,968 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 10.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,500 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker?
BLS lists the typical entry education as master's degree. In O*NET's survey, 100% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is psychology (31%).
How much do mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $51,590 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $60,280 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 21-1023. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers.