National Salary Info » Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

The top 73 highest paying industries for mental health and substance abuse social workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $68,300, elementary and secondary schools - local government owned is the highest paying industry for mental health and substance abuse social workers. It is followed by educational services - local government owned industry (average annual salary $63,540). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of mental health and substance abuse social workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 73 Highest Paying Industries for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$68,300	$37,230	330
2	Educational Services - Local government owned	$63,540	$36,790	340
3	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$58,790	$33,590	3,590
4	Hospitals - State government owned	$58,330	$32,400	3,870
5	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$52,370	$35,850	190
6	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$52,320	$32,820	660
7	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$51,190	$34,060	390
8	Finance and Insurance	$51,190	$34,060	390
9	Educational Services	$51,040	$30,800	1,290
10	Educational Services - State government owned	$50,800	$19,320	560
11	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$50,790	$19,270	540
12	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$50,650	$28,210	240
13	State government, including schools and hospitals	$50,620	$32,580	8,790
14	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$50,480	$23,450	600
15	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$50,430	$30,330	4,160
16	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$49,860	$29,630	8,690
17	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$49,540	$29,650	14,330
18	Home Health Care Services	$49,490	$32,840	500
19	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$49,120	$29,590	5,290
20	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$49,020	$31,220	310
21	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$48,410	$31,360	22,990
22	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$48,260	$31,850	350
23	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$47,780	$29,190	70
24	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$47,780	$29,190	70
25	Religious Organizations	$47,600	$32,570	140
26	Hospitals - Privately owned	$47,560	$28,740	9,430
27	Child Day Care Services	$47,490	$35,810	140
28	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$47,370	$30,870	12,820
29	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$47,340	$30,760	60
30	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$47,320	$30,790	14,200
31	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$47,060	$31,400	17,190
32	Federal, State, and Local Government	$47,060	$31,400	17,190
33	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$45,860	$25,390	5,590
34	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$45,780	$32,720	4,360
35	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$45,690	$26,290	230
36	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$45,590	$27,440	4,960
37	Social Advocacy Organizations	$44,890	$28,750	1,230
38	Offices of Physicians	$44,690	$28,340	3,340
39	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$44,440	$25,330	6,500
40	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$43,480	$26,520	240
41	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$43,030	$27,180	1,900
42	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$43,030	$27,180	1,900
43	Educational Services - Privately owned	$42,580	$31,480	390
44	Employment Services	$42,340	$27,030	680
45	Administrative and Support Services	$42,340	$27,150	780
46	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$42,340	$27,150	780
47	Facilities Support Services	$42,280	$28,490	90
48	Hospitals - Local government owned	$41,400	$29,060	1,040
49	Temporary Help Services	$41,400	$26,850	620
50	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$41,270	$29,200	890
51	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$41,160	$31,910	320
52	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$40,540	$25,940	33,660
53	Health Care and Social Assistance	$39,920	$25,210	86,960
54	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$39,850	$25,900	580
55	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$39,580	$22,150	330
56	Outpatient Care Centers	$39,010	$25,860	23,260
57	Civic and Social Organizations	$38,960	$25,710	260
58	Individual and Family Services	$38,950	$25,050	16,180
59	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$38,690	$25,750	22,240
60	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$38,640	$20,230	620
61	Social Assistance	$38,560	$25,060	20,250
62	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$37,590	$25,570	1,430
63	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$37,290	$21,620	4,550
64	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$37,120	$21,500	250
65	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$36,860	$25,340	2,700
66	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$36,340	$24,580	2,500
67	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$35,910	$22,760	15,850
68	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$35,480	$22,160	18,720
69	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$35,470	$23,410	11,300
70	Other Residential Care Facilities	$35,400	$23,860	2,020
71	Scientific Research and Development Services	$29,680	$25,690	n/a
72	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$28,440	$25,440	n/a
73	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$21,830	$17,580	n/a