Careers / Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$60,280
United States, 2025
Employment
132,810
United States, 2025
Typical education
Master's Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.
- O*NET code
- 21-1023.00
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
- Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
- Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
- Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
- Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
- Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, or providing support.
- Educate clients or community members about mental or physical illness, abuse, medication, or available community resources.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$39,740
25th percentile
$47,070
75th percentile
$79,730
90th percentile
$104,170
Most important skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Writing3.8
- Persuasion3.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 | 5.1 | Not selected | 5.1 |
| Speaking | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Coordination | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Negotiation | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Instructing | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $122,930 | 120 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne, WY | $118,900 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $109,050 | 1,010 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $98,800 | 140 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $97,200 | 100 | 2025 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $96,420 | 130 | 2025 |
| Hanford, CA | $91,730 | 80 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $87,550 | 1,990 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $87,370 | 1,310 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $84,450 | 70 | 2025 |
| Norwich, CT | $84,260 | 130 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $84,190 | 160 | 2025 |
| Mankato, MN | $83,530 | 90 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $83,150 | 1,330 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $82,450 | 12,090 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $81,990 | 460 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $81,240 | 160 | 2025 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $80,030 | 30 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $79,940 | 360 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $79,870 | 410 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.