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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
117,770 1.6 % $24.84 $51,670 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.20 $17.21 $22.43 $29.78 $38.89
Annual Wage (2) $29,540 $35,790 $46,650 $61,930 $80,900


Industry profile for this occupation:

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 26,950 2.82 $23.98 $49,890
Individual and Family Services 16,370 0.64 $23.33 $48,520
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 14,500 0.26 $27.43 $57,050
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,470 1.96 $19.28 $40,100
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 10,160 4.11 $26.23 $54,560

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 10,160 4.11 $26.23 $54,560
Outpatient Care Centers 26,950 2.82 $23.98 $49,890
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,470 1.96 $19.28 $40,100
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 2,710 1.49 $20.52 $42,680
Other Residential Care Facilities 2,270 1.39 $21.31 $44,320

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Insurance Carriers 330 0.03 $33.00 $68,650
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (8) (8) $30.88 $64,230
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 130 0.04 $30.81 $64,080
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 490 0.02 $30.72 $63,890
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 7,630 0.80 $29.45 $61,250


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 14,970 0.86 1.07 $31.26 $65,020
New York 11,540 1.21 1.51 $30.54 $63,520
Pennsylvania 7,610 1.29 1.61 $18.61 $38,710
Massachusetts 6,870 1.90 2.37 $22.55 $46,900
Ohio 6,650 1.22 1.52 $22.57 $46,950




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 830 2.70 3.37 $21.76 $45,260
Maine 1,290 2.11 2.64 $28.53 $59,340
Massachusetts 6,870 1.90 2.37 $22.55 $46,900
Pennsylvania 7,610 1.29 1.61 $18.61 $38,710
Ohio 6,650 1.22 1.52 $22.57 $46,950




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 1,670 0.41 0.51 $39.93 $83,050
District of Columbia 630 0.87 1.08 $31.77 $66,080
California 14,970 0.86 1.07 $31.26 $65,020
Connecticut 1,920 1.16 1.44 $31.05 $64,590
New York 11,540 1.21 1.51 $30.54 $63,520





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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 9,040 0.94 1.17 $32.84 $68,300
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,570 1.05 1.31 $30.91 $64,290
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,750 1.70 2.12 $22.60 $47,010
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 3,410 1.18 1.48 $21.55 $44,820
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,980 0.94 1.17 $29.83 $62,050
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,530 0.54 0.67 $28.30 $58,870
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,390 1.13 1.41 $19.40 $40,350
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,610 0.82 1.02 $29.50 $61,360
Pittsburgh, PA 1,560 1.35 1.69 $17.60 $36,600
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,530 0.77 0.97 $24.84 $51,670




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)
Altoona, PA 200 3.49 4.36 $14.08 $29,290
Pueblo, CO 210 3.40 4.23 $21.27 $44,240
New Bedford, MA 200 3.05 3.81 $18.04 $37,530
Tuscaloosa, AL 310 2.91 3.62 $16.51 $34,350
Duluth, MN-WI 360 2.83 3.54 $28.66 $59,620
Salem, OR 480 2.75 3.43 $28.09 $58,430
Redding, CA 180 2.75 3.43 $26.33 $54,760
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 120 2.72 3.40 $36.49 $75,900
El Centro, CA 160 2.71 3.38 $18.86 $39,240
Waterbury, CT 160 2.43 3.03 $28.02 $58,290




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)
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 140 1.00 1.24 $46.51 $96,730
Napa, CA 100 1.33 1.66 $41.03 $85,340
Santa Rosa, CA 210 0.99 1.24 $40.94 $85,160
Trenton, NJ 230 0.94 1.17 $40.05 $83,310
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 500 1.57 1.96 $37.38 $77,750
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,520 0.61 0.77 $37.32 $77,630
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 120 2.72 3.40 $36.49 $75,900
Madera, CA 50 1.15 1.44 $36.35 $75,610
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 130 1.10 1.37 $35.39 $73,610
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 80 1.96 2.45 $33.90 $70,520

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)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 450 2.33 2.90 $30.17 $62,760
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 410 2.60 3.25 $20.79 $43,240
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 380 1.15 1.43 $22.21 $46,200
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 350 0.89 1.10 $19.15 $39,820
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 340 1.77 2.20 $17.84 $37,110

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)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 220 3.13 3.91 $22.46 $46,720
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 310 2.88 3.60 $19.57 $40,710
Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area 410 2.60 3.25 $20.79 $43,240
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 120 2.41 3.00 $21.35 $44,400
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 290 2.34 2.92 $18.76 $39,020

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)
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 40 0.45 0.56 $35.80 $74,470
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.27 0.33 $31.04 $64,570
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 450 2.33 2.90 $30.17 $62,760
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $29.91 $62,220
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.46 0.58 $29.76 $61,910


About May 2019 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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020