Counselor Earnings

The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $44,630 in May 2018. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,240, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $72,990.

In May 2018, the median annual wages for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Government: $51,690
Hospitals; state, local, and private: $48,310
Individual and family services: $44,120
Outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers: $43,120
Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities: $38,190

Most substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work full time. In some settings, such as inpatient facilities, they may need to work evenings, nights, or weekends.

Source: BLS, USDOL