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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Counselor

$59,190
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Counsel people through addiction and mental health struggles, building treatment plans and tracking progress.

Where you work

Clinics, hospitals, and community programs

The hours

Regular hours, sometimes evenings or on-call

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$59,190
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~48,300
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+17%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
483,500
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Master's degree

Training path: Master's degree + supervised hours.

License or certification

Requires state licensure or certification, with a master's degree standard for the higher-paying roles.

What it takes

Active listeningEmpathyCrisis responseRecord keeping

The honest take

Meaningful, growing work in mental health, though the emotional weight and licensing hours are real.

Standard Occupational Classification 21-1018. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.