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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

21-1023 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

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.

National estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Industry profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Geographic profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

National estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
116,780 1.6 % $ 26.22 $ 54,540 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.79 $ 17.89 $ 23.42 $ 31.35 $ 42.03
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,770 $ 37,220 $ 48,720 $ 65,210 $ 87,420

Industry profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 27,790 2.89 $ 26.15 $ 54,380
Individual and Family Services 16,320 0.64 $ 23.34 $ 48,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 14,220 0.26 $ 29.23 $ 60,790
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,420 1.96 $ 19.86 $ 41,300
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 9,890 4.09 $ 27.81 $ 57,840

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 9,890 4.09 $ 27.81 $ 57,840
Outpatient Care Centers 27,790 2.89 $ 26.15 $ 54,380
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,420 1.96 $ 19.86 $ 41,300
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 2,600 1.43 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Other Residential Care Facilities 2,130 1.33 $ 23.08 $ 48,010

Top paying industries for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Insurance Carriers 380 0.03 $ 34.35 $ 71,460
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 140 0.05 $ 34.15 $ 71,030
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 190 0.07 $ 33.77 $ 70,240
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,020 0.11 $ 31.50 $ 65,530
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 7,260 0.80 $ 31.27 $ 65,040

Geographic profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 16,920 1.03 1.23 $ 35.17 $ 73,150
New York 11,020 1.27 1.51 $ 31.13 $ 64,750
Pennsylvania 7,920 1.44 1.71 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Ohio 7,090 1.38 1.64 $ 23.00 $ 47,830
Massachusetts 6,920 2.06 2.46 $ 23.69 $ 49,270




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 1,270 2.20 2.62 $ 27.79 $ 57,800
Vermont 590 2.10 2.51 $ 23.08 $ 48,000
Massachusetts 6,920 2.06 2.46 $ 23.69 $ 49,270
Pennsylvania 7,920 1.44 1.71 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Ohio 7,090 1.38 1.64 $ 23.00 $ 47,830




Top paying states for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,610 0.43 0.51 $ 43.79 $ 91,070
District of Columbia 640 0.93 1.11 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
California 16,920 1.03 1.23 $ 35.17 $ 73,150
Connecticut 1,620 1.05 1.25 $ 31.97 $ 66,500
Rhode Island 480 1.09 1.30 $ 31.46 $ 65,430





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,980 1.02 1.21 $ 33.90 $ 70,520
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,650 1.31 1.57 $ 35.40 $ 73,630
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,340 1.67 1.99 $ 23.30 $ 48,460
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,890 1.07 1.28 $ 21.23 $ 44,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,880 0.95 1.14 $ 31.35 $ 65,200
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,460 1.17 1.39 $ 20.33 $ 42,290
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,280 0.52 0.62 $ 31.12 $ 64,720
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,840 0.79 0.94 $ 41.18 $ 85,650
Pittsburgh, PA 1,810 1.69 2.02 $ 18.94 $ 39,390
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,630 0.92 1.09 $ 23.78 $ 49,450




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Bedford, MA 250 4.18 4.98 $ 20.75 $ 43,160
Altoona, PA 230 4.12 4.91 $ 15.21 $ 31,630
Worcester, MA-CT 950 3.56 4.25 $ 23.75 $ 49,410
Pueblo, CO 180 2.97 3.54 $ 21.36 $ 44,430
Duluth, MN-WI 350 2.97 3.53 $ 28.82 $ 59,940
El Centro, CA 160 2.72 3.24 $ 20.21 $ 42,040
Portland-South Portland, ME 520 2.63 3.13 $ 28.14 $ 58,530
Redding, CA 170 2.58 3.08 $ 28.07 $ 58,380
Pittsfield, MA 90 2.55 3.04 $ 28.64 $ 59,570
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 280 2.48 2.95 $ 23.80 $ 49,500