Mental Health and Drug Abuse Social Worker Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Data from 2008 shows about 122,000 jobs for mental health and drug abuse social workers in the US. This job is ranked very low for unemployment. On the order of 2% of employees could not find work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

San Angelo (Texas), Taunton (Massachusetts), and New Bedford (Massachusetts) can boast the most mental health and drug abuse social workers for their size. Lakeland (Florida), Palm Bay (Florida), and Ogden (Utah) have the fewest per capita.

The highest salaries for workers are found in Rochester (Minnesota), Edison (New Jersey), and Vallejo (California), and the lowest-paying areas are in Danville (Illinois), Columbia (Missouri), and Austin (Texas).

Training and Education

Many employers require that job applicants for this career have a master's degree. The percentage of mental health and drug abuse social workers with a bachelor's degree or better is 77%. Approximately 16% of workers went to college, but did not have to get a four year degree. Completing high school was all that was needed for 7% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

About 9% of people in this field work less than full time. Self-employment is the path of choice for 3% of workers.

Mental Health and Drug Abuse Social Workers: An Introductory Video

Mental Health and Drug Abuse Social Workers Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of mental health and drug abuse social workers compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for mental health and drug abuse social workers.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Birmingham	$31,000	120
Montgomery	$40,000	110

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$51,000	160

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$42,000	1,020
Tucson	$34,000	750

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$47,000	320
Jonesboro	$34,000	100
Fayetteville	$31,000	90
Fort Smith	$35,000	30

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Diego	$41,000	1,090
San Francisco	$45,000	860
Riverside	$43,000	850
San Jose	$56,000	810
Sacramento	$44,000	800
Oakland	$47,000	680
Santa Ana	$46,000	640
Santa Cruz	$51,000	340
Oxnard	$58,000	250
Vallejo	$60,000	200
Fresno	$56,000	180
Bakersfield	$36,000	180
Modesto	$39,000	140
Salinas	$56,000	110
Redding	$41,000	60

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$33,000	1,170
Fort Collins	$28,000	250
Colorado Springs	$34,000	240
Boulder	$29,000	160
Pueblo	$48,000	110

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Hartford	$52,000	1,320
Bridgeport	$49,000	520
New Haven	$47,000	400
Norwich	$44,000	250
Waterbury	$51,000	150
Danbury	$51,000	60

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$43,000	540

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$55,000	2,780

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Miami	$41,000	1,110
West Palm Beach	$32,000	980
Jacksonville	$34,000	770
Orlando	$36,000	590
Tampa	$30,000	550
Fort Lauderdale	$42,000	360
Deltona	$28,000	270
Tallahassee	$37,000	170
Pensacola	$28,000	140
Port St Lucie	$29,000	110
Fort Walton Beach	$29,000	80
Sarasota	$33,000	70
Palm Bay	$42,000	40
Lakeland	$41,000	40
Naples	$38,000	30

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$36,000	700
Savannah	$33,000	50
Columbus	$38,000	50
Augusta	$35,000	50
Macon	$41,000	40

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$51,000	530

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$35,000	640

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$41,000	2,610
Champaign	$27,000	330
Peoria	$32,000	240
Rockford	$36,000	200
Springfield	$37,000	100
Danville	$23,000	80
Kankakee	$39,000	50

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$39,000	540
Gary	$33,000	320
Evansville	$38,000	190
South Bend	$38,000	190
Fort Wayne	$40,000	140
Elkhart	$37,000	60
Michigan City	$50,000	60
Lafayette	$49,000	50

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Des Moines	$50,000	350
Sioux City	$30,000	210
Waterloo	$39,000	120
Davenport	$36,000	80
Cedar Rapids	$31,000	60
Iowa City		60

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$40,000	210
Topeka	$35,000	160

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$40,000	450
Lexington	$38,000	210
Bowling Green	$36,000	80

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$44,000	260
Baton Rouge	$42,000	260
Shreveport	$41,000	170
Lake Charles	$42,000	80
Lafayette	$47,000	40
Houma	$33,000	30

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$37,000	420
Bangor	$40,000	230
Lewiston	$36,000	190

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$49,000	1,200
Bethesda	$46,000	210
Hagerstown	$34,000	150
Cumberland	$38,000	50

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$46,000	2,630
Worcester	$34,000	670
Springfield	$46,000	400
Lowell	$36,000	380
New Bedford	$42,000	350
Taunton	$44,000	260
Brockton	$45,000	180
Pittsfield	$32,000	120
Barnstable Town	$46,000	60

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Warren	$43,000	1,330
Detroit	$35,000	1,110
Grand Rapids		350
Lansing	$47,000	150
Flint	$47,000	110
Kalamazoo	$45,000	110
Bay City	$42,000	100
Jackson		100
Muskegon	$48,000	70
Saginaw	$51,000	50

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$48,000	1,400
Duluth	$51,000	150
Rochester	$66,000	100
St Cloud	$49,000	40

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Jackson	$33,000	200
Pascagoula	$36,000	80

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St Louis	$35,000	1,190
Kansas City	$35,000	980
Springfield	$30,000	230
Columbia	$24,000	130
Jefferson City	$45,000	100
Joplin	$27,000	80
St Joseph		70

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Great Falls	$33,000	80
Billings	$38,000	60

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$36,000	300
Lincoln	$37,000	280

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$57,000	220
Reno	$56,000	80

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Manchester	$45,000	130

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$65,000	430
Camden	$55,000	360
Newark	$56,000	340

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$37,000	950

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$50,000	7,690
Nassau	$45,000	1,590
Albany	$43,000	640
Buffalo	$40,000	440
Rochester	$41,000	370
Poughkeepsie	$50,000	260
Syracuse	$44,000	240
Utica	$53,000	220
Binghamton	$40,000	130
Kingston	$46,000	80
Glens Falls	$40,000	70
Ithaca	$49,000	30

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charlotte	$38,000	880
Raleigh	$38,000	480
Greenville	$42,000	370
Fayetteville	$46,000	360
Wilmington	$36,000	240
Asheville	$37,000	230
Durham	$39,000	220
Hickory	$42,000	200
Greensboro	$43,000	190
Winston Salem	$37,000	160
Goldsboro	$44,000	120
Jacksonville	$44,000	70

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Grand Forks	$37,000	100
Bismarck	$35,000	40

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cincinnati	$34,000	990
Cleveland	$37,000	860
Columbus	$35,000	700
Toledo	$35,000	380
Youngstown	$35,000	380
Akron	$38,000	340
Dayton	$37,000	310
Springfield	$44,000	100
Canton	$36,000	40
Lima	$33,000	40

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$32,000	520
Tulsa	$39,000	170

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$37,000	1,070
Salem	$40,000	210
Medford	$38,000	80
Eugene	$39,000	70

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$40,000	2,970
Pittsburgh	$40,000	1,770
Allentown	$37,000	450
Harrisburg	$38,000	370
Scranton	$36,000	270
Reading	$45,000	200
Erie	$37,000	180
York	$33,000	130
Williamsport	$40,000	120
Lancaster	$42,000	120
Altoona	$30,000	120
Johnstown	$38,000	70

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$47,000	1,630

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Columbia	$37,000	90
Charleston	$33,000	80
Spartanburg	$33,000	40

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$31,000	110
Rapid City	$30,000	40

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashville	$30,000	1,180
Chattanooga	$32,000	270
Memphis	$37,000	240
Knoxville	$35,000	200
Kingsport	$34,000	110
Clarksville	$36,000	110
Jackson	$34,000	90
Johnson City	$33,000	80

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Houston	$27,000	1,690
Austin	$22,000	900
San Antonio		630
Corpus Christi		510
San Angelo		380
Fort Worth	$31,000	350
El Paso		270
Amarillo	$35,000	150
Beaumont	$32,000	140
Waco	$32,000	60
Mcallen	$32,000	60
Tyler	$32,000	50

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$40,000	650
Provo	$40,000	170
Ogden	$41,000	40

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$46,000	1,020
Virginia Beach	$37,000	370
Roanoke		280
Blacksburg	$39,000	100
Lynchburg	$40,000	50

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$42,000	850
Spokane	$38,000	180
Yakima	$33,000	70
Mount Vernon	$34,000	60
Bellingham	$35,000	60
Kennewick	$43,000	30

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Huntington	$27,000	220
Charleston	$39,000	130
Wheeling	$27,000	100
Parkersburg	$30,000	60

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Madison	$31,000	910
Milwaukee	$42,000	680
Green Bay	$111,000	110
Racine	$52,000	80
Eau Claire	$35,000	70
Appleton	$42,000	50
Janesville		30

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$33,000	80
Casper	$38,000	30

Our mental health and drug abuse social worker career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.