Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Detroit, MI
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median $60,890 a year — 3% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $48,768 take-home, or $4,064 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in Detroit, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,127
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,775
- Medicare (1.45%)$883
- Michigan income tax$2,337
- Take-home pay$48,768
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Detroit? City residents also pay Detroit’s city income tax — about $1,461 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $47,307 ($3,942 a month). Choose “Detroit” 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 Detroit, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $38,490 | $18.50 | $31,722 | $2,643 |
| 25th percentile | $47,990 | $23.07 | $38,951 | $3,246 |
| Median (50th) | $60,890 | $29.27 | $48,768 | $4,064 |
| 75th percentile | $78,330 | $37.66 | $60,857 | $5,071 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $94,760 | $45.56 | $71,717 | $5,976 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $60,890 buys in Detroit, MI
Prices in Detroit, MI are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors's $48,768 take-home pay has the buying power of $48,623 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 less concentrated in Detroit, MI than nationally (location quotient 0.71), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, adjusted for cost of living
Detroit, MI ranks #15 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 |
| 15 | Detroit, MI | $60,890 | $48,768 | $48,623 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in Detroit, MI?
The median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area is $60,890 a year, or about $29.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $47,990 and $78,330.
What is a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s take-home pay in Detroit, MI?
On the median $60,890 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $48,768 a year ($4,064 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,337 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Detroit, MI a good place to work as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Pay here is 3% above the national median of $59,350. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $48,623 would in a typical U.S. city. Detroit, MI ranks #15 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 Detroit, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Detroit, MI is $1,128 a month ($1,413 for two bedrooms) — 28% 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%.