Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Houston, TX
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $67,370 a year — 14% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $56,225 take-home, or $4,685 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,991
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,177
- Medicare (1.45%)$977
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$56,225
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
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 Houston, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $37,540 | $18.05 | $32,343 | $2,695 |
| 25th percentile | $47,890 | $23.02 | $40,660 | $3,388 |
| Median (50th) | $67,370 | $32.39 | $56,225 | $4,685 |
| 75th percentile | $81,970 | $39.41 | $66,496 | $5,541 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $95,760 | $46.04 | $76,197 | $6,350 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $67,370 buys in Houston, TX
Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors's $56,225 take-home pay has the buying power of $57,006 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 Houston, TX than nationally (location quotient 0.48), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, adjusted for cost of living
Houston, TX ranks #1 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 |
*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 Texas
- Austin, TX — $66,780
- Dallas, TX — $62,560
Frequently asked questions
How much does a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in Houston, TX?
The median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $67,370 a year, or about $32.39 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $47,890 and $81,970.
What is a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?
On the median $67,370 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $56,225 a year ($4,685 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Pay here is 14% above the national median of $59,350. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $57,006 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #1 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 Houston, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 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%.
Related jobs in Houston, TX
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors — $75,930
- Healthcare Social Worker — $71,900
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers — $56,670
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $46,100