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Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
What Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Do
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors provide treatment and advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, or other mental or behavioral problems.
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work in a wide variety of settings, such as mental health centers, community health centers, prisons, and private practice. Most work full time.
How to Become a Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, or Mental Health Counselor
Most positions require at least a bachelor's degree. Although educational requirements can vary from a high school diploma and certification to a master's degree for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, a master's degree and an internship is typically required to become a mental health counselor.
The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $47,660 in May 2020.
Employment	of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow	23 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 41,000 openings for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
State & Area Data
Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors with similar occupations.
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Median annual wages, May 2020
Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists
Total, all occupations
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $47,660 in May 2020. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,700.
In May 2020, the median annual wages for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Government $54,070
Hospitals; state, local, and private 50,460
Individual and family services 47,580
Outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers 45,960
Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities 40,560
Most substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work full time. In some settings, such as inpatient facilities, they may need to work evenings, nights, or weekends.
Percent change in employment, projected 2020-30
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Employment growth is expected in this occupation as people continue to seek addiction and mental health counseling services. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors experienced an increase in demand due to the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on many individuals' mental health.
Demand for these workers also is expected to increase as states seek treatment and counseling services rather than jail time for people with addictions or mental health concerns. In addition, there will be a continued need for counselors to work with military veterans to provide them the appropriate mental health or substance abuse counseling care.
Employment projections data for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, 2020-30
Occupational Title
SOC Code
Employment, 2020
Projected Employment, 2030
Percent Change, 2020-30
Numeric Change, 2020-30
Employment by Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook , Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm (visited January 09, 2022).
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