Substance Abuse Counselor Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Substance abuse counselors hold about 83,000 positions nationally. As an occupation, this career is ranked low for unemployment rate. About 3% of employees could not obtain a job in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Jobs in this career are most numerous in Spokane (Washington), Elmira (New York), and Waterbury (Connecticut), and least common in Evansville (Indiana), Warren (Michigan), and Raleigh (North Carolina).

Salaries vary the US, with the highest being found in State College (Pennsylvania), Rochester (Minnesota), and New Orleans (Louisiana). The lowest salaries for this job are in Alexandria (Louisiana), Fayetteville (Arkansas), and Grand Rapids (Michigan).

Training and Education

Getting a bachelor's degree will improve one'schance of landing a job in this field. Substance abuse counselors with at least a bachelor's degree are 73% of the total. Approximately 18% of workers started college, but did not pursue a bachelor's degree. High school was sufficient education for 9% of people in this field. 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

Approximately, 15% of substance abuse counselors work part-time. In this field, about 6% work for themselves.

Substance Abuse Counselors: An Introductory Video

Substance Abuse Counselors Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of substance abuse counselors 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 substance abuse counselors.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Mobile	$40,000	90
Anniston	$29,000	50
Montgomery	$42,000	30

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$48,000	70

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$49,000	500
Tucson	$36,000	210
Yuma	$46,000	50

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$33,000	90
Fayetteville	$27,000	50
Fort Smith	$36,000	40

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Francisco	$35,000	960
San Diego	$37,000	750
Riverside	$42,000	740
Oakland	$34,000	630
San Jose	$32,000	460
Santa Ana	$34,000	370
Sacramento	$37,000	310
Fresno	$35,000	230
Modesto	$36,000	200
Visalia	$30,000	170
Santa Rosa	$35,000	150
Oxnard	$41,000	120
Bakersfield	$32,000	110
Chico		110
Redding	$40,000	70
Vallejo	$34,000	50
Salinas	$40,000	40

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$34,000	330
Pueblo		90

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Hartford	$42,000	490
Bridgeport	$41,000	280
New Haven	$45,000	240
Waterbury	$38,000	140
Norwich	$42,000	70

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$35,000	190

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$46,000	1,020

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tampa	$40,000	520
Miami	$41,000	390
Fort Lauderdale	$53,000	360
Orlando	$35,000	340
West Palm Beach	$36,000	270
Jacksonville	$37,000	210
Sarasota	$35,000	150
Ocala	$33,000	110
Pensacola	$40,000	100
Port St Lucie	$46,000	70

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$38,000	600
Augusta	$38,000	140
Macon	$38,000	60

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$47,000	280

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$36,000	180
Coeur Dalene	$39,000	50

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$37,000	2,410
Peoria	$45,000	40

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis		250
Fort Wayne	$37,000	100
Gary	$33,000	80
Terre Haute	$31,000	60
Elkhart	$41,000	40
Michigan City	$35,000	40
Evansville	$39,000	30

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Des Moines	$35,000	150
Davenport	$32,000	130
Cedar Rapids	$36,000	90

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$31,000	240
Topeka	$36,000	50

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$37,000	300

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$50,000	360
Baton Rouge	$37,000	120
Shreveport	$41,000	80
Alexandria	$26,000	60
Lafayette	$30,000	50

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$44,000	190
Bangor		50
Lewiston	$41,000	40

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$41,000	1,770
Bethesda	$39,000	150
Hagerstown	$42,000	110
Salisbury	$41,000	40

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Springfield	$42,000	270
Worcester	$41,000	140

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Grand Rapids	$37,000	250
Detroit	$41,000	250
Warren	$44,000	150
Battle Creek	$41,000	50

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$46,000	1,020
Duluth	$47,000	130
Rochester	$51,000	110

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Jackson	$32,000	190
Gulfport	$34,000	50

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St Louis	$32,000	640
Kansas City	$37,000	450
Springfield	$43,000	150

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Billings	$42,000	60
Great Falls	$39,000	60

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$41,000	280
Lincoln	$35,000	150

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$40,000	240

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Manchester	$35,000	70

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$51,000	820
Camden	$41,000	530
Atlantic City	$39,000	120
Vineland	$40,000	100

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$34,000	260
Farmington	$43,000	50
Santa Fe	$44,000	40

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$45,000	6,670
Nassau	$45,000	990
Albany	$35,000	840
Buffalo	$36,000	670
Rochester	$38,000	590
Syracuse	$34,000	510
Poughkeepsie	$40,000	330
Binghamton	$39,000	150
Utica	$45,000	90
Kingston	$43,000	90
Elmira	$38,000	80
Glens Falls	$43,000	30

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charlotte	$42,000	180
Greensboro	$38,000	70
Durham	$43,000	70
Raleigh	$40,000	50
Asheville	$34,000	50
Fayetteville	$44,000	40

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Fargo	$39,000	80
Bismarck	$39,000	70

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cleveland	$36,000	510
Columbus	$41,000	370
Cincinnati	$40,000	330
Toledo	$42,000	210
Youngstown	$37,000	170
Dayton	$41,000	130
Akron	$39,000	120
Canton	$38,000	100
Mansfield	$32,000	90

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$37,000	490
Tulsa	$42,000	310
Lawton	$46,000	30

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$40,000	1,050
Salem	$37,000	130
Medford	$27,000	110

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$40,000	2,470
Pittsburgh	$34,000	990
Allentown	$40,000	290
Scranton	$42,000	270
Harrisburg	$37,000	270
Erie	$34,000	160
Lancaster	$32,000	150
Reading	$37,000	80
York	$32,000	70
Johnstown	$31,000	50
State College	$49,000	50

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$39,000	340

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Columbia	$38,000	130
Myrtle Beach	$37,000	40

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$39,000	190
Rapid City	$32,000	80

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Memphis	$40,000	520
Nashville	$43,000	330
Knoxville	$31,000	190
Chattanooga	$35,000	80

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Houston	$37,000	850
Dallas	$33,000	410
Austin	$32,000	280
Fort Worth	$36,000	240
San Antonio	$39,000	230
El Paso	$31,000	150
Lubbock	$30,000	100
Beaumont	$32,000	70
Mcallen	$29,000	60
Longview	$30,000	50
Amarillo	$30,000	40
Abilene	$38,000	30

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$42,000	190
Provo	$45,000	80
Ogden	$41,000	60
St George	$49,000	40

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$37,000	100

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$41,000	430
Virginia Beach	$41,000	180
Blacksburg	$42,000	120

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$40,000	680
Spokane	$29,000	640
Kennewick	$39,000	150
Olympia	$39,000	110
Tacoma	$38,000	100
Mount Vernon	$49,000	50

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Huntington	$40,000	50
Wheeling	$35,000	40

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$44,000	340
La Crosse	$48,000	90
Madison	$45,000	80
Eau Claire	$53,000	70
Oshkosh	$51,000	40
Racine	$35,000	40
Green Bay	$41,000	30

Our substance abuse counselor career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.