The highest-paying states for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (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 of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $63,900, Alaska is the highest paying state for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. It is followed by Nevada (average annual salary $63,060). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $63,900 |
$38,230 | 1,270 |
| 2 | Nevada | $63,060 |
$35,040 | 1,220 |
| 3 | Utah | $61,520 |
$30,290 | 3,150 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $60,300 |
$31,990 | 980 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $59,870 |
$38,610 | 1,970 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $59,860 |
$45,030 | 730 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $59,760 |
$36,230 | 630 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $59,290 |
$36,680 | 11,790 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $58,460 |
$38,620 | 1,070 |
| 10 | Oregon | $57,570 |
$37,500 | 7,080 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $57,410 |
$39,210 | 850 |
| 12 | Maryland | $57,380 |
$35,840 | 6,570 |
| 13 | California | $56,060 |
$37,860 | 36,100 |
| 14 | Idaho | $55,520 |
$38,340 | 1,960 |
| 15 | Maine | $54,500 |
$39,970 | 650 |
| 16 | New York | $54,290 |
$34,750 | 22,810 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $52,680 |
$28,830 | 2,190 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $52,410 |
$37,490 | 17,030 |
| 19 | Washington | $51,480 |
$37,500 | 12,810 |
| 20 | Colorado | $50,860 |
$35,440 | 13,030 |
| 21 | Iowa | $50,800 |
$31,320 | 2,790 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $50,520 |
$35,680 | 6,070 |
| 23 | Michigan | $50,460 |
$32,200 | 8,790 |
| 24 | Virginia | $50,460 |
$37,090 | 13,850 |
| 25 | Arizona | $50,460 |
$33,440 | 8,100 |
| 26 | Kansas | $50,360 |
$37,070 | 1,820 |
| 27 | Vermont | $49,570 |
$39,140 | 1,030 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $49,530 |
$39,470 | 6,770 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $49,520 |
$33,470 | 6,840 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $49,480 |
$35,290 | 1,600 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $49,060 |
$30,800 | 4,710 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $49,050 |
$33,280 | 8,950 |
| 33 | Montana | $48,900 |
$29,160 | 1,910 |
| 34 | Ohio | $48,420 |
$35,040 | 13,760 |
| 35 | Florida | $48,040 |
$31,870 | 15,630 |
| 36 | Delaware | $47,860 |
$31,720 | 1,610 |
| 37 | Illinois | $47,700 |
$36,780 | 12,260 |
| 38 | Texas | $47,140 |
$31,680 | 16,830 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $46,700 |
$35,990 | 2,130 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $46,630 |
$33,490 | 20,680 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $45,780 |
$36,450 | 1,550 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $45,340 |
$28,730 | 5,620 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,030 |
$30,090 | 4,100 |
| 44 | Georgia | $44,990 |
$30,820 | 6,010 |
| 45 | Missouri | $44,980 |
$28,030 | 4,600 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $43,950 |
$28,950 | 4,200 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $43,180 |
$28,550 | 1,930 |
| 48 | Indiana | $43,120 |
$32,950 | 7,630 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $41,310 |
$29,900 | 1,390 |
| 50 | Alabama | $41,120 |
$30,120 | 3,090 |
| 51 | Virgin Islands | $40,600 |
$25,160 | 50 |
| 52 | Louisiana | $36,080 |
$27,290 | 4,810 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $19,960 |
$18,230 | 160 |