Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Salary

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn a median $60,280 a year nationally. Community and Social Service Occupations

U.S. median

$60,280

$28.98 per hour

Range

$39,740 – $104,170

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

132,810

across the U.S.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$50,615

per year · effective tax rate 16.0%

$4,218Monthly

$2,109Twice a month

$1,947Every 2 weeks

$24.33Hourly

Federal income tax$5,054
Social Security (6.2%)$3,737
Medicare (1.45%)$874
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$50,615

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$39,740	$19.11	$34,111
25th percentile	$47,070	$22.63	$40,001
Median (50th)	$60,280	$28.98	$50,615
75th percentile	$79,730	$38.33	$64,920
90th percentile (top earners)	$104,170	$50.08	$82,114

Best cities for mental health and substance abuse social workers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$109,050	$78,217	$70,834	1,010
2	Hartford, CT	$81,990	$63,576	$61,876	460
3	Riverside, CA	$87,370	$65,263	$61,313	1,310
4	Albany, NY	$76,970	$59,419	$59,678	530
5	Sacramento, CA	$83,150	$62,742	$58,819	1,330
6	Seattle, WA	$78,350	$63,949	$57,543	1,840
7	Buffalo, NY	$70,230	$55,041	$57,428	630
8	San Francisco, CA	$87,550	$65,371	$56,543	1,990
9	New York, NY	$82,450	$62,978	$55,949	12,090
10	Rochester, NY	$68,880	$54,165	$55,820	730
11	Minneapolis, MN	$75,020	$58,029	$55,359	2,500
12	Washington, DC	$78,210	$60,171	$55,262	2,180
13	Denver, CO	$70,920	$56,310	$53,232	900
14	Baltimore, MD	$70,360	$55,350	$52,973	1,100
15	Los Angeles, CA	$78,410	$59,910	$52,753	9,380
16	Las Vegas, NV	$62,900	$52,720	$52,607	890
17	Portland, OR	$73,740	$55,083	$52,251	1,170
18	Milwaukee, WI	$62,770	$50,635	$52,235	600
19	San Diego, CA	$75,570	$58,178	$51,997	1,030
20	Richmond, VA	$63,020	$50,007	$51,102	740
21	Kansas City, MO	$58,320	$47,236	$51,043	960
22	Fresno, CA	$64,910	$51,511	$50,423	620
23	Springfield, MA	$60,250	$47,798	$49,758	510
24	Charlotte, NC	$58,090	$47,046	$48,328	840
25	Providence, RI	$59,930	$48,703	$47,855	1,400

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

San Jose, CA — $109,050
San Francisco, CA — $87,550
Riverside, CA — $87,370
Sacramento, CA — $83,150
New York, NY — $82,450
Hartford, CT — $81,990
Los Angeles, CA — $78,410
Seattle, WA — $78,350
Washington, DC — $78,210
Albany, NY — $76,970
San Diego, CA — $75,570
Minneapolis, MN — $75,020
Portland, OR — $73,740
Denver, CO — $70,920
Baltimore, MD — $70,360

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
New York	$79,380	$60,984	$54,650 – $122,340	14,820
California	$79,000	$60,262	$46,450 – $147,300	19,860
Connecticut	$78,640	$61,403	$49,260 – $108,530	1,540
Minnesota	$75,020	$58,029	$50,950 – $98,520	3,590
Maryland	$73,580	$57,462	$38,100 – $104,000	2,250
District of Columbia	$73,310	$57,085	$57,940 – $115,500	510
Vermont	$73,210	$57,962	$61,510 – $100,140	320
Washington	$70,460	$58,399	$46,790 – $102,680	3,490
Oregon	$68,210	$51,677	$50,280 – $100,680	2,230
New Jersey	$66,590	$53,545	$45,180 – $102,130	2,420
New Mexico	$65,640	$53,002	$36,700 – $114,170	800
Colorado	$65,620	$52,727	$47,100 – $95,950	1,640
Virginia	$64,240	$50,917	$48,530 – $102,480	3,670
New Hampshire	$63,900	$53,524	$49,140 – $123,560	320
Nevada	$62,900	$52,720	$37,930 – $98,010	1,100
Massachusetts	$62,500	$49,494	$48,260 – $100,670	7,440
Wisconsin	$61,860	$49,944	$45,430 – $87,690	1,880
Rhode Island	$60,990	$49,515	$42,900 – $135,200	800
North Dakota	$60,980	$51,177	$44,050 – $75,840	240
Michigan	$60,830	$48,722	$42,150 – $82,750	4,620
Delaware	$60,060	$47,782	$47,550 – $81,210	510
Wyoming	$59,310	$49,836	$39,650 – $118,900	200
Arkansas	$58,590	$47,185	$39,440 – $99,070	1,040
North Carolina	$58,210	$47,138	$38,970 – $79,720	3,690
Maine	$57,050	$45,350	$45,870 – $96,370	1,860
Alaska	$56,710	$47,746	$46,250 – $85,670	250
Kansas	$56,330	$45,098	$47,750 – $79,650	1,620
Hawaii	$54,390	$43,279	$45,790 – $90,870	—
Idaho	$52,520	$42,705	$40,940 – $92,770	510
Georgia	$52,030	$41,909	$32,990 – $83,500	1,330
Florida	$51,590	$43,633	$38,180 – $77,610	5,150
Utah	$50,770	$41,655	$37,980 – $101,350	1,240
West Virginia	$50,070	$40,887	$38,410 – $70,190	420
Illinois	$49,960	$39,995	$39,910 – $79,050	3,460
Missouri	$49,560	$40,609	$38,610 – $72,800	1,640
Mississippi	$48,970	$40,301	$25,880 – $78,920	920
South Dakota	$48,920	$41,487	$39,230 – $73,610	230
Iowa	$48,530	$39,982	$37,980 – $80,760	1,200
Indiana	$48,300	$39,594	$36,290 – $77,780	2,490
Pennsylvania	$48,290	$39,499	$37,790 – $73,940	3,500
Louisiana	$47,100	$38,998	$31,890 – $72,440	970
Texas	$46,630	$39,647	$36,870 – $79,210	8,220
Tennessee	$46,500	$39,543	$38,320 – $68,430	2,220
Arizona	$46,380	$38,496	$40,810 – $64,350	3,690
Ohio	$46,080	$38,720	$34,700 – $75,610	6,050
Montana	$45,160	$37,100	$37,960 – $82,390	740
Nebraska	$43,240	$35,835	$35,760 – $59,160	900
Oklahoma	$43,120	$35,432	$35,780 – $52,930	1,780
Kentucky	$42,570	$35,013	$33,880 – $63,960	1,360
Alabama	$41,500	$33,715	$29,370 – $64,750	740
South Carolina	$39,930	$33,025	$30,250 – $63,970	720

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mental health and substance abuse social worker make?

The national median salary for mental health and substance abuse social workers is $60,280 a year ($28.98 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,740 and the top 10% earn over $104,170. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays mental health and substance abuse social workers the most?

New York has the highest median pay at $79,380. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many mental health and substance abuse social workers are there in the U.S.?

About 132,810 people work as mental health and substance abuse social workers nationwide.

All 52 cities