Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in St. Louis, MO
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $58,570 a year — 1% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,426 take-home, or $3,952 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,848
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,631
- Medicare (1.45%)$849
- Missouri income tax$1,815
- Take-home pay$47,426
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $586 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $46,840 ($3,903 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
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 St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $38,580 | $18.55 | $32,303 | $2,692 |
| 25th percentile | $46,310 | $22.26 | $38,151 | $3,179 |
| Median (50th) | $58,570 | $28.16 | $47,426 | $3,952 |
| 75th percentile | $74,560 | $35.85 | $58,716 | $4,893 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $91,600 | $44.04 | $69,903 | $5,825 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $58,570 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors's $47,426 take-home pay has the buying power of $49,875 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 St. Louis, MO than nationally (location quotient 0.78), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #14 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 |
| 14 | St. Louis, MO | $58,570 | $47,426 | $49,875 |
*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 Missouri
- Kansas City, MO — $60,690
Frequently asked questions
How much does a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in St. Louis, MO?
The median substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $58,570 a year, or about $28.16 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $46,310 and $74,560.
What is a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $58,570 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $47,426 a year ($3,952 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,815 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Pay here is 1% below the national median of $59,350. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $49,875 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #14 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 St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 25% 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%.