Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Columbus, OH
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $59,370 a year — 0% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $49,033 take-home, or $4,086 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,944
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,681
- Medicare (1.45%)$861
- Ohio income tax$850
- Take-home pay$49,033
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $1,484 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $47,549 ($3,962 a month). Choose “Columbus” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors pay by experience in Columbus, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $40,840 | $19.63 | $34,654 | $2,888 |
| 25th percentile | $48,870 | $23.50 | $40,885 | $3,407 |
| Median (50th) | $59,370 | $28.54 | $49,033 | $4,086 |
| 75th percentile | $71,220 | $34.24 | $57,757 | $4,813 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $88,500 | $42.55 | $69,438 | $5,787 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,370 buys in Columbus, OH
Prices in Columbus, OH are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 12% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors's $49,033 take-home pay has the buying power of $51,361 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors jobs are about as common in Columbus, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.11).
Best-paying cities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, adjusted for cost of living
Columbus, OH ranks #9 of 42 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $67,370 | $56,225 | $57,006 |
| 2 | Austin, TX | $66,780 | $55,810 | $56,910 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $73,580 | $60,594 | $54,523 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $75,420 | $56,118 | $53,233 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | $60,690 | $49,029 | $52,980 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $59,630 | $49,235 | $52,421 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $66,020 | $53,785 | $52,059 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | $61,960 | $50,020 | $51,600 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $59,370 | $49,033 | $51,361 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 42 metros →
About the job: substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors
- Typical education
- Master's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +18.4% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors salaries elsewhere in Ohio
- Cleveland, OH — $59,630
- Cincinnati, OH — $58,520
Frequently asked questions
How much does a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in Columbus, OH?
The median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $59,370 a year, or about $28.54 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $48,870 and $71,220.
What is a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?
On the median $59,370 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $49,033 a year ($4,086 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $850 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Pay here is 0% above the national median of $59,350. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $51,361 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #9 of 42 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors afford rent in Columbus, OH?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Columbus, OH is $1,179 a month ($1,416 for two bedrooms) — 29% of a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.