Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
119,960 1.6 % $20.13 $41,880 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.12 $14.84 $18.56 $24.24 $30.51
Annual Wage (2) $25,210 $30,870 $38,600 $50,420 $63,460

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 23,560 3.98 $19.18 $39,900
Individual and Family Services 20,130 1.66 $18.82 $39,150
Residential Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 16,490 2.92 $17.00 $35,360
Local Government (OES Designation) 12,710 0.23 $22.69 $47,200
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 10,360 4.29 $23.21 $48,280

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 10,360 4.29 $23.21 $48,280
Outpatient Care Centers 23,560 3.98 $19.18 $39,900
Residential Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 16,490 2.92 $17.00 $35,360
Other Residential Care Facilities 3,760 2.32 $17.56 $36,520
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 3,230 2.29 $16.13 $33,550

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 130 0.05 $28.36 $58,990
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,490 0.13 $24.29 $50,530
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 220 0.01 $23.72 $49,340
State Government (OES Designation) 5,130 0.22 $23.54 $48,960
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 5,400 0.81 $23.23 $48,310

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 10,880 1.30 1.38 $23.63 $49,150
California 10,650 0.76 0.81 $22.86 $47,550
Pennsylvania 9,380 1.71 1.81 $19.30 $40,150
Ohio 5,790 1.18 1.25 $18.69 $38,880
Florida 5,040 0.71 0.75 $17.11 $35,590




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vermont 850 2.95 3.13 $17.50 $36,410
Maine 1,490 2.58 2.74 $20.62 $42,900
Rhode Island 1,120 2.50 2.64 $25.97 $54,010
New Mexico 1,810 2.33 2.47 $20.39 $42,410
West Virginia 1,320 1.93 2.04 $15.55 $32,350




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,430 0.38 0.40 $27.51 $57,230
Rhode Island 1,120 2.50 2.64 $25.97 $54,010
District of Columbia 780 1.21 1.29 $25.70 $53,450
Connecticut 2,770 1.73 1.84 $24.84 $51,660
New York 10,880 1.30 1.38 $23.63 $49,150

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 7,000 1.41 1.49 $24.48 $50,910
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 4,060 1.06 1.13 $22.54 $46,880
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,340 1.85 1.96 $20.20 $42,010
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 2,870 0.81 0.86 $20.39 $42,410
Pittsburgh, PA 2,040 1.87 1.98 $20.51 $42,660
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,860 1.10 1.17 $20.24 $42,090
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,700 1.02 1.08 $24.46 $50,880
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,580 0.69 0.73 $27.57 $57,350
Denver-Aurora, CO 1,410 1.19 1.26 $16.70 $34,740
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,410 0.84 0.89 $22.09 $45,950




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Bedford, MA 480 7.75 8.21 $15.92 $33,110
Bangor, ME 350 5.68 6.02 $20.60 $42,850
Pocatello, ID 190 5.63 5.96 $15.44 $32,120
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 230 4.99 5.28 $18.82 $39,140
Pueblo, CO 230 4.11 4.35 $19.10 $39,730
Elmira, NY 150 4.02 4.26 $22.12 $46,000
Danville, IL 100 3.70 3.92 $12.82 $26,670
Lynchburg, VA 340 3.44 3.64 $18.13 $37,720
Peabody, MA NECTA Division 320 3.26 3.45 $19.20 $39,930
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 220 3.13 3.32 $14.86 $30,910