Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 21-1023 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$60,070
$28.88/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is $60,070 per year ($28.88/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $46,550 and $78,978 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $104,125 per year. There are approximately 125,910 mental health and substance abuse social workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+9.7%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
14K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
137K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
26K
$57,060
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
18K
$65,000
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
16K
$58,080
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
13K
$64,470
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
NAICS 623200
13K
$49,560
Wage range across top 5 industries: $49,560 to $65,000 (31% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$19.05
$39,624
P25
$22.38
$46,550
P50MEDIAN
$28.88
$60,070
P75
$37.97
$78,978
P90
$50.06
$104,125
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average mental health and substance abuse social workers salary?
The national median salary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is $60,070 per year ($28.88/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $46,550 and $78,978 annually.
How much do top-earning mental health and substance abuse social workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is $104,125 per year ($50.06/hr). The 75th percentile is $78,978 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mental health and substance abuse social workers?
Entry-level Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $39,624 per year ($19.05/hr). The 25th percentile is $46,550 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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