Mental health and substance abuse social workers

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2022 Workforce

25.4k

Average Age

45.6

Estimated Job Growth

10.6%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$64,768

Average Male Salary

$67,474

Average Female Salary

$64,146

About

Mental health and substance abuse social workers are most often employed by the Outpatient care centers industry. The average yearly wage for Mental health and substance abuse social workers was $64,768 in 2022.

The locations that employ the most Mental health and substance abuse social workers are South Rhode Island--Washington County PUMA, RI, Alameda County (Northwest)--Oakland City (Oakland Hills) PUMA, CA, and Los Angeles County (Southeast)--Long Beach City (East) PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Mental health and substance abuse social workers are South Rhode Island--Washington County PUMA, RI, Los Angeles County (Southeast)--Long Beach City (East) PUMA, CA, and Alameda County (Northwest)--Oakland City (Oakland Hills) PUMA, CA.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Community & Social Service Occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce. Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce in 2022 was 25,398 people, of which 81.3% were women and 18.7% were men. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are paid most in Los Angeles County (Southeast)--Long Beach City (East) PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in South Rhode Island--Washington County PUMA, RI.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

4,751

Male Workforce

± 1.69k

20,647

Female Workforce

± 3.53k

The Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce in 2022 was 25,398 people (81.3% women and 18.7% men). This implies an average annual growth of −23.1% between 2018 (33,011) and 2022 (25,398).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Mental health and substance abuse social workers.

During 2022, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were South Carolina ($151,339), Arizona ($91,419), and New Mexico ($84,083).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$64,768

AVERAGE WAGE

#204 in the ranking (2022)

$64,683

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2022, Mental health and substance abuse social workers earned an average of $64,768, $85 more than the average national salary of $64,683

The graph shows the ranking of Mental health and substance abuse social workers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2022.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.304

WAGE GINI

In 2022, Mental health and substance abuse social workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.304, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Mental health and substance abuse social workers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Mental health and substance abuse social workers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Mental health and substance abuse social workers and on wages for those in the field. Outpatient care centers is the industry that employs the most Mental health and substance abuse social workers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Mental health and substance abuse social workers, by average wage, is Executive offices & legislative bodies ($417,539).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

25.4k

2022 Workforce

± 3,912

−3.56%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 22.4%

This graphic shows the share of Mental health and substance abuse social workers employed by various industries. Outpatient care centers employs the largest share of Mental health and substance abuse social workers at 51.3%, followed by Individual & family services with 27% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 21.7%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Mental health and substance abuse social workers in the US. The workforce of Mental health and substance abuse social workers in 2022 was 25,398 people, with 81.3% woman, and 18.7% men. The average age of male Mental health and substance abuse social workers in the workforce is 46.9 and of female Mental health and substance abuse social workers is 45.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Mental health and substance abuse social workers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Mental health and substance abuse social workers in 2022 was 25,398 people, with 81.3% woman, and 18.7% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 35 to 39 years (3,487 people), 30 to 34 years (3,312 people), and 40 to 44 years (2,786 people). Among them they concentrated 38.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2022, 15.3% of Mental health and substance abuse social workers workers were Hispanic and 84.7% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (65.2%), Puerto Rican (26.4)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (8.38)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2022, 68.5% of the Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce were White, of which 80.5% were women and 19.5% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (10.3%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Mental health and substance abuse social workers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Mental health and substance abuse social workers is Psychology but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2022 were Public Administration and Social Service.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Mental health and substance abuse social workers in 2022 (counting all academic degrees) were Psychology (5,930 people), Public Administration and Social Service (5,019 people), and Social Sciences (2,520 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Mental health and substance abuse social workers workers were Graduate Degree (17,316 people), Bachelors Degree (4,835 people), and Some college (1,287 people).

The graphic shows the Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 2.84%, but Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are expected to see a growth of 10.6% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

10.6%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

2.84%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Mental health and substance abuse social workers. This profession is expected to grow more than than 2.84%, the average rate of national job growth.