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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

21-1018 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors

Counsel and advise individuals, families, or groups to prevent or treat substance abuse problems, behavioral disorders, or a broad range of mental health issues in order to promote optimum mental and emotional health.


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)
241,930 1.0 % $22.38 $46,560 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.13 $16.33 $20.82 $26.85 $34.06
Annual Wage (2) $27,310 $33,960 $43,300 $55,850 $70,840


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 55,160 6.27 $21.85 $45,450
Individual and Family Services 42,920 1.86 $21.99 $45,750
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 34,870 5.56 $19.20 $39,940
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 17,960 2.05 $24.36 $50,680
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 17,770 0.33 $26.20 $54,490

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 55,160 6.27 $21.85 $45,450
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 34,870 5.56 $19.20 $39,940
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 12,910 5.39 $21.91 $45,570
Other Residential Care Facilities 6,310 3.87 $19.12 $39,770
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 17,960 2.05 $24.36 $50,680

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 80 0.01 $34.29 $71,310
Scientific Research and Development Services 240 0.04 $34.08 $70,890
Junior Colleges 130 0.02 $30.57 $63,580
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,870 0.10 $26.79 $55,730
Insurance Carriers 370 0.03 $26.73 $55,600


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)
California 26,240 1.57 0.93 $23.00 $47,840
Pennsylvania 20,930 3.62 2.13 $21.28 $44,270
New York 13,590 1.48 0.87 $22.90 $47,640
Massachusetts 12,790 3.63 2.14 $22.27 $46,310
Virginia 11,190 2.95 1.74 $23.55 $48,990




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 1,160 3.81 2.25 $22.81 $47,450
Massachusetts 12,790 3.63 2.14 $22.27 $46,310
Pennsylvania 20,930 3.62 2.13 $21.28 $44,270
Virginia 11,190 2.95 1.74 $23.55 $48,990
Montana 1,350 2.93 1.73 $21.34 $44,380




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utah 2,340 1.66 0.98 $32.29 $67,160
Alaska 840 2.64 1.56 $29.82 $62,030
Oregon 4,810 2.63 1.55 $27.60 $57,420
New Jersey 8,060 2.01 1.19 $27.50 $57,200
Wyoming 460 1.73 1.02 $27.33 $56,850



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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-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 9,490 1.42 0.84 $25.99 $54,070
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,550 1.70 1.00 $23.81 $49,530
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 5,800 1.58 0.93 $21.29 $44,290
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,500 2.33 1.37 $23.47 $48,820
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,330 1.72 1.01 $26.38 $54,860
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 4,250 4.70 2.77 $20.91 $43,480
Pittsburgh, PA 4,240 3.74 2.20 $19.79 $41,170
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 3,830 2.08 1.23 $23.67 $49,230
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 3,610 2.50 1.47 $23.04 $47,930
Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, PA Metropolitan Division 3,240 3.13 1.85 $23.36 $48,600


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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)
Worcester, MA-CT 2,370 8.41 4.96 $20.20 $42,020
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division 440 7.44 4.39 $24.44 $50,830
New Bedford, MA 490 7.42 4.37 $19.53 $40,620
Waterbury, CT 390 5.69 3.35 $26.88 $55,920
Pueblo, CO 340 5.62 3.31 $23.55 $48,990
Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Division 520 5.46 3.22 $23.72 $49,340
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division 440 5.44 3.20 $25.74 $53,540
Grants Pass, OR 130 5.40 3.18 $20.29 $42,210
Grand Junction, CO 320 5.30 3.12 $20.40 $42,420
Lebanon, PA 250 5.18 3.05 $23.04 $47,930


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ocean City, NJ 70 1.73 1.02 $37.72 $78,470
Salt Lake City, UT 1,080 1.56 0.92 $35.88 $74,630
St. George, UT 130 2.08 1.23 $34.89 $72,570
Killeen-Temple, TX 230 1.67 0.99 $34.76 $72,290
College Station-Bryan, TX 70 0.62 0.37 $33.46 $69,590
Carson City, NV 30 1.07 0.63 $33.24 $69,140
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 40 0.30 0.17 $31.64 $65,820
Napa, CA 130 1.72 1.01 $31.29 $65,070
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 3,100 2.68 1.58 $29.96 $62,310
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 160 2.75 1.62 $29.81 $62,010

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 770 5.07 2.99 $21.65 $45,030
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 740 4.65 2.74 $22.30 $46,380
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 650 3.46 2.04 $21.36 $44,430
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 600 4.95 2.91 $19.19 $39,910
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 570 3.39 2.00 $19.74 $41,070

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 160 5.96 3.51 $24.50 $50,970
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 770 5.07 2.99 $21.65 $45,030
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 600 4.95 2.91 $19.19 $39,910
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 340 4.90 2.89 $24.05 $50,020
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 740 4.65 2.74 $22.30 $46,380

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $33.78 $70,270
Wasatch Back nonmetropolitan area 50 1.57 0.93 $32.70 $68,020
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 270 2.53 1.49 $32.18 $66,920
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 200 2.84 1.68 $31.19 $64,870
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 100 2.98 1.76 $29.90 $62,200


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018