Mental health and substance abuse social workers

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

26.3k

Average Age

45.3

Estimated Job Growth

16.7%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$57,671

Average Male Salary

$58,868

Average Female Salary

$57,345

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 $57,671 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Mental health and substance abuse social workers are Richmond City PUMA, VA, Washington County PUMA, RI, and Oakland (East) & Piedmont Cities PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Mental health and substance abuse social workers are Washington County PUMA, RI, Oakland (East) & Piedmont Cities PUMA, CA, and Richmond City PUMA, VA.

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 2021 was 26,262 people, of which 78.6% were women and 21.4% were men. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are paid most in Long Beach City (East) PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Washington County PUMA, RI.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

5,625

Male Workforce

± 1.84k

20,637

Female Workforce

± 3.53k

The Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce in 2021 was 26,262 people (78.6% women and 21.4% men). This implies an average annual growth of −19.7% between 2018 (32,705) and 2021 (26,262).

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 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were South Carolina ($106,627), Nevada ($79,593), and New Mexico ($78,541).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$57,671

AVERAGE WAGE

#227 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Mental health and substance abuse social workers earned an average of $57,671, $1,924 less than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Mental health and substance abuse social workers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.288

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Mental health and substance abuse social workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.288, 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 National security & international affairs ($163,414).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

26.3k

2021 Workforce

± 3,978

−6.42%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 22.5%

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 45.5%, followed by Individual & family services with 33.3% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 21.1%.

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 2021 was 26,262 people, with 78.6% woman, and 21.4% men. The average age of male Mental health and substance abuse social workers in the workforce is 45.9 and of female Mental health and substance abuse social workers is 45.1, 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 2021 was 26,262 people, with 78.6% woman, and 21.4% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 35 to 39 years (3,688 people), 40 to 44 years (3,326 people), and 30 to 34 years (3,188 people). Among them they concentrated 39.4% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 15% of Mental health and substance abuse social workers workers were Hispanic and 85% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (67%), Puerto Rican (22.4)%, and Cuban (10.5)%

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

Races

In 2021, 70.3% of the Mental health and substance abuse social workers workforce were White, of which 78.4% were women and 21.6% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (15.8%) and Two or More Races (8.66%).

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 Public Administration and Social Service but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 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 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Public Administration and Social Service (5,897 people), Psychology (5,800 people), and Social Sciences (2,505 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 (16,887 people), Bachelors Degree (6,031 people), and Some college (1,453 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 3.71%, but Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers are expected to see a growth of 16.7% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

16.7%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.