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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Industry profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Geographic profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

National estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
116,780 1.6 % $ 26.22 $ 54,540 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.79 $ 17.89 $ 23.42 $ 31.35 $ 42.03
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,770 $ 37,220 $ 48,720 $ 65,210 $ 87,420


Industry profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 27,790 2.89 $ 26.15 $ 54,380
Individual and Family Services 16,320 0.64 $ 23.34 $ 48,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 14,220 0.26 $ 29.23 $ 60,790
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,420 1.96 $ 19.86 $ 41,300
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 9,890 4.09 $ 27.81 $ 57,840

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 9,890 4.09 $ 27.81 $ 57,840
Outpatient Care Centers 27,790 2.89 $ 26.15 $ 54,380
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 12,420 1.96 $ 19.86 $ 41,300
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 2,600 1.43 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Other Residential Care Facilities 2,130 1.33 $ 23.08 $ 48,010

Top paying industries for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Insurance Carriers 380 0.03 $ 34.35 $ 71,460
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 140 0.05 $ 34.15 $ 71,030
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 190 0.07 $ 33.77 $ 70,240
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,020 0.11 $ 31.50 $ 65,530
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 7,260 0.80 $ 31.27 $ 65,040


Geographic profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 16,920 1.03 1.23 $ 35.17 $ 73,150
New York 11,020 1.27 1.51 $ 31.13 $ 64,750
Pennsylvania 7,920 1.44 1.71 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Ohio 7,090 1.38 1.64 $ 23.00 $ 47,830
Massachusetts 6,920 2.06 2.46 $ 23.69 $ 49,270




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 1,270 2.20 2.62 $ 27.79 $ 57,800
Vermont 590 2.10 2.51 $ 23.08 $ 48,000
Massachusetts 6,920 2.06 2.46 $ 23.69 $ 49,270
Pennsylvania 7,920 1.44 1.71 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Ohio 7,090 1.38 1.64 $ 23.00 $ 47,830




Top paying states for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 1,610 0.43 0.51 $ 43.79 $ 91,070
District of Columbia 640 0.93 1.11 $ 35.33 $ 73,490
California 16,920 1.03 1.23 $ 35.17 $ 73,150
Connecticut 1,620 1.05 1.25 $ 31.97 $ 66,500
Rhode Island 480 1.09 1.30 $ 31.46 $ 65,430





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

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 8,980 1.02 1.21 $ 33.90 $ 70,520
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,650 1.31 1.57 $ 35.40 $ 73,630
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,340 1.67 1.99 $ 23.30 $ 48,460
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,890 1.07 1.28 $ 21.23 $ 44,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,880 0.95 1.14 $ 31.35 $ 65,200
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,460 1.17 1.39 $ 20.33 $ 42,290
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,280 0.52 0.62 $ 31.12 $ 64,720
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,840 0.79 0.94 $ 41.18 $ 85,650
Pittsburgh, PA 1,810 1.69 2.02 $ 18.94 $ 39,390
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,630 0.92 1.09 $ 23.78 $ 49,450




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Bedford, MA 250 4.18 4.98 $ 20.75 $ 43,160
Altoona, PA 230 4.12 4.91 $ 15.21 $ 31,630
Worcester, MA-CT 950 3.56 4.25 $ 23.75 $ 49,410
Pueblo, CO 180 2.97 3.54 $ 21.36 $ 44,430
Duluth, MN-WI 350 2.97 3.53 $ 28.82 $ 59,940
El Centro, CA 160 2.72 3.24 $ 20.21 $ 42,040
Portland-South Portland, ME 520 2.63 3.13 $ 28.14 $ 58,530
Redding, CA 170 2.58 3.08 $ 28.07 $ 58,380
Pittsfield, MA 90 2.55 3.04 $ 28.64 $ 59,570
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 280 2.48 2.95 $ 23.80 $ 49,500




Top paying metropolitan areas for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Madera, CA 40 0.91 1.08 $ 44.65 $ 92,870
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 170 1.25 1.49 $ 43.98 $ 91,480
Santa Rosa, CA 230 1.19 1.42 $ 43.14 $ 89,730
Napa, CA 100 1.51 1.80 $ 42.42 $ 88,230
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 50 0.30 0.36 $ 42.09 $ 87,540
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 480 1.62 1.93 $ 41.33 $ 85,960
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,840 0.79 0.94 $ 41.18 $ 85,650
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 120 1.10 1.31 $ 38.93 $ 80,980
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (8) (8) (8) $ 37.57 $ 78,140
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 290 0.77 0.91 $ 36.62 $ 76,170

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 430 2.88 3.43 $ 20.88 $ 43,420
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 380 1.23 1.46 $ 23.73 $ 49,360
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 370 2.01 2.40 $ 27.32 $ 56,830
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 310 2.69 3.21 $ 19.20 $ 39,930
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 290 2.00 2.39 $ 14.04 $ 29,200

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 200 2.95 3.52 $ 28.30 $ 58,860
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 430 2.88 3.43 $ 20.88 $ 43,420
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 180 2.78 3.32 $ 23.10 $ 48,040
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 310 2.69 3.21 $ 19.20 $ 39,930
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 110 2.36 2.81 $ 21.84 $ 45,430

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 100 0.97 1.16 $ 35.72 $ 74,300
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 110 1.14 1.36 $ 31.59 $ 65,700
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 170 1.13 1.35 $ 30.91 $ 64,280
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 100 1.81 2.16 $ 30.63 $ 63,710
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 70 0.85 1.02 $ 29.99 $ 62,380


About May 2020 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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021