Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for mental health and substance abuse social workers is $60,280, or $28.98 per hour. About 132,810 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $79,380 in New York to $39,930 in South Carolina.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $79,380 | $38.16 | 14,820 | 1.79 |
| 2 | California | $79,000 | $37.98 | 19,860 | 1.28 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $78,640 | $37.81 | 1,540 | 1.06 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $75,020 | $36.07 | 3,590 | 1.42 |
| 5 | Maryland | $73,580 | $35.37 | 2,250 | 0.95 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $73,310 | $35.25 | 510 | 0.85 |
| 7 | Vermont | $73,210 | $35.20 | 320 | 1.24 |
| 8 | Washington | $70,460 | $33.88 | 3,490 | 1.15 |
| 9 | Oregon | $68,210 | $32.79 | 2,230 | 1.33 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $66,590 | $32.02 | 2,420 | 0.66 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $65,640 | $31.56 | 800 | 1.08 |
| 12 | Colorado | $65,620 | $31.55 | 1,640 | 0.67 |
| 13 | Virginia | $64,240 | $30.89 | 3,670 | 1.04 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $63,900 | $30.72 | 320 | 0.54 |
| 15 | Nevada | $62,900 | $30.24 | 1,100 | 0.83 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $62,500 | $30.05 | 7,440 | 2.40 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $61,860 | $29.74 | 1,880 | 0.75 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $60,990 | $29.32 | 800 | 1.88 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $60,980 | $29.32 | 240 | 0.65 |
| 20 | Michigan | $60,830 | $29.25 | 4,620 | 1.23 |
| 21 | Delaware | $60,060 | $28.88 | 510 | 1.22 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $59,310 | $28.51 | 200 | 0.82 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $58,590 | $28.17 | 1,040 | 0.93 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $58,210 | $27.98 | 3,690 | 0.87 |
| 25 | Maine | $57,050 | $27.43 | 1,860 | 3.40 |
| 26 | Alaska | $56,710 | $27.26 | 250 | 0.88 |
| 27 | Kansas | $56,330 | $27.08 | 1,620 | 1.32 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $54,390 | $26.15 | — | — |
| 29 | Idaho | $52,520 | $25.25 | 510 | 0.69 |
| 30 | Georgia | $52,030 | $25.02 | 1,330 | 0.32 |
| 31 | Florida | $51,590 | $24.80 | 5,150 | 0.61 |
| 32 | Utah | $50,770 | $24.41 | 1,240 | 0.84 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $50,070 | $24.07 | 420 | 0.70 |
| 34 | Illinois | $49,960 | $24.02 | 3,460 | 0.66 |
| 35 | Missouri | $49,560 | $23.83 | 1,640 | 0.66 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $48,970 | $23.55 | 920 | 0.93 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $48,920 | $23.52 | 230 | 0.60 |
| 38 | Iowa | $48,530 | $23.33 | 1,200 | 0.90 |
| 39 | Indiana | $48,300 | $23.22 | 2,490 | 0.91 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $48,290 | $23.21 | 3,500 | 0.68 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $47,100 | $22.64 | 970 | 0.59 |
| 42 | Texas | $46,630 | $22.42 | 8,220 | 0.68 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $46,500 | $22.36 | 2,220 | 0.79 |
| 44 | Arizona | $46,380 | $22.30 | 3,690 | 1.33 |
| 45 | Ohio | $46,080 | $22.16 | 6,050 | 1.28 |
| 46 | Montana | $45,160 | $21.71 | 740 | 1.69 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $43,240 | $20.79 | 900 | 1.03 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $43,120 | $20.73 | 1,780 | 1.22 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $42,570 | $20.46 | 1,360 | 0.80 |
| 50 | Alabama | $41,500 | $19.95 | 740 | 0.41 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $39,930 | $19.20 | 720 | 0.37 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do mental health and substance abuse social workers make?
The median annual wage for mental health and substance abuse social workers in the United States is $60,280, or $28.98 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $39,740, and the top 10% earn $104,170.
How many mental health and substance abuse social workers are employed in the U.S.?
About 132,810 people work as mental health and substance abuse social workers nationwide.
Which state pays mental health and substance abuse social workers the most?
New York pays the most at a median of $79,380, followed by California ($79,000) and Connecticut ($78,640).
Which state pays mental health and substance abuse social workers the least?
South Carolina has the lowest median at $39,930.
Where are mental health and substance abuse social workers jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Maine at 3.40×.