Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Salt Lake City, UT
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area earn a median $63,100 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $51,007 take-home, or $4,251 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in Salt Lake City, UT. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,392
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,912
- Medicare (1.45%)$915
- Utah income tax$1,874
- Take-home pay$51,007
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.50% 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 Salt Lake City, UT
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,820 | $17.70 | $31,074 | $2,589 |
| 25th percentile | $39,250 | $18.87 | $32,917 | $2,743 |
| Median (50th) | $63,100 | $30.34 | $51,007 | $4,251 |
| 75th percentile | $97,760 | $47.00 | $74,171 | $6,181 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $112,810 | $54.24 | $84,081 | $7,007 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Utah resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $63,100 buys in Salt Lake City, UT
Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 0.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.23× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors's $51,007 take-home pay has the buying power of $50,568 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 Salt Lake City, UT as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.04).
Best-paying cities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, adjusted for cost of living
Salt Lake City, UT ranks #13 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 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $63,100 | $51,007 | $50,568 |
*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 Salt Lake City, UT?
The median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area is $63,100 a year, or about $30.34 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,250 and $97,760.
What is a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT?
On the median $63,100 salary, a single filer living in Utah takes home about $51,007 a year ($4,251 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,874 in Utah taxes in 2026.
Is Salt Lake City, UT a good place to work as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $59,350. Local prices are 0.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $50,568 would in a typical U.S. city. Salt Lake City, UT ranks #13 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 Salt Lake City, UT?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,426 a month ($1,717 for two bedrooms) — 34% 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 Salt Lake City, UT
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