JobAfterNext

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors separately. These are the figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (21-1018), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.

Median annual wage, U.S.$59,350
Employment, U.S.491,930
Median hourly wage$28.53
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$38,940$47,100$59,350$76,530$97,590
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama$47,310
Alaska1,290$80,7701.26
Arizona9,990$65,3000.97
Arkansas2,570$51,5800.62
California75,610$59,2501.31
Colorado14,920$62,3901.64
Connecticut7,540$63,5901.41
Delaware1,700$56,0201.11
District of Columbia1,260$60,4500.57
Florida29,750$56,7900.95
Georgia9,600$58,9600.62
Hawaii2,110$60,0901.06
Idaho2,990$63,3601.10
Illinois20,250$60,7301.05
Indiana11,890$53,7601.17
Iowa3,530$60,8800.72
Kansas2,600$59,4700.57
Kentucky7,690$54,1901.22
Louisiana6,420$37,9101.05
Maine1,930$59,9700.95
Maryland9,730$59,5301.11
Massachusetts18,190$59,8901.58
Michigan10,100$61,6900.72
Minnesota7,110$58,7800.76
Mississippi2,090$46,9900.57
Missouri8,130$56,9100.87
Montana1,820$59,0001.12
Nebraska2,170$63,7700.67
Nevada1,810$57,2100.37
New Hampshire3,690$54,8401.71
New Jersey14,210$62,8201.05
New Mexico2,420$74,1000.88
New York26,770$59,4500.87
North Carolina10,300$55,4900.66
North Dakota1,290$68,6300.95
Ohio18,020$58,3601.03
Oklahoma5,150$59,3500.95
Oregon8,160$74,5901.31
Pennsylvania30,620$52,0101.60
Rhode Island2,170$65,1201.37
South Carolina6,300$52,3700.86
South Dakota1,710$53,6501.18
Tennessee9,040$49,5800.87
Texas21,400$62,6300.48
Utah6,320$63,8901.15
Vermont1,120$61,8101.17
Virginia17,940$59,8801.38
Washington14,250$68,9101.27
West Virginia2,100$49,4300.95
Wisconsin8,340$62,2200.90
Wyoming910$62,9801.03

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Healthcare Social Workers50.988
2Clinical and Counseling Psychologists50.986
3Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers50.986
4Marriage and Family Therapists50.985
5Mental Health Counselors50.984
6Rehabilitation Counselors50.981
7Child, Family, and School Social Workers40.978
8School Psychologists50.977
9Community Health Workers40.974
10Social and Human Service Assistants40.974

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsActive Listening0.760.986
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersTime Management0.880.986
Mental Health CounselorsActive Listening0.880.984
School PsychologistsActive Listening0.760.977
Speech-Language PathologistsOperations Analysis1.500.957
Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolLearning Strategies1.000.955
Genetic CounselorsScience1.750.947
Pediatricians, GeneralScience2.870.944
Naturopathic PhysiciansScience1.870.943
Health Education SpecialistsOperations Analysis1.380.938

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, excluding software Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Patient electronic medical record EMR software7 of 2024.9x
Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System3 of 2046.2x
ICANotes3 of 2046.2x
Social Solutions ETO3 of 2046.2x
Google Meet6 of 206.3x
Noldus Information Technology The Observer XT3 of 2034.6x
Netscape Navigator3 of 2023.1x
eClinicalWorks EHR software5 of 204.8x
Zoom5 of 204.4x
Electronic medical record EMR software4 of 205.8x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 4.25 5.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.25 4.12
SpeakingEssential skill 4.12 4.12
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.25
WritingEssential skill 4.00 4.00
MonitoringEssential skill 4.00 3.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.88 4.12
Active LearningEssential skill 3.88 4.00
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.75 3.75
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.38 3.38
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.38 3.12
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.25 3.75
InstructingTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 1.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.88 1.62
ScienceEssential skill 1.88 1.25
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.75 0.75
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.62 1.12
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.25not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Therapy and Counseling 4.74 6.43
Psychology 4.65 5.92
English Language 4.30 4.87
Customer and Personal Service 4.00 4.83
Sociology and Anthropology 3.75 4.21
Education and Training 3.71 4.08
Administrative 3.26 3.96
Administration and Management 3.14 3.65
Computers and Electronics 3.00 3.75
Public Safety and Security 3.00 2.91
Medicine and Dentistry 2.96 2.88
Law and Government 2.92 2.88
Philosophy and Theology 2.88 3.50
Biology 2.62 2.71
Communications and Media 2.62 2.50
Personnel and Human Resources 2.52 3.04
Telecommunications 2.39 1.91
Foreign Language 2.29 2.17
Chemistry 2.00 2.04
Transportation 2.00 1.61
Mathematics 1.96 2.04
Sales and Marketing 1.91 1.75
Economics and Accounting 1.87 1.50
History and Archeology 1.87 1.43
Geography 1.67 1.17
Engineering and Technology 1.50 1.08
Fine Arts 1.50 1.04
Production and Processing 1.48not rated
Physics 1.46not rated
Mechanical 1.46 0.79
Design 1.42not rated
Food Production 1.26not rated
Building and Construction 1.25not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.25 4.88
Problem Sensitivity 4.12 4.25
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.88
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.25
Written Expression 4.00 4.12
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.00
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.00
Speech Recognition 3.88 4.00
Speech Clarity 3.88 3.88
Information Ordering 3.62 3.88
Fluency of Ideas 3.25 3.38
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.25
Selective Attention 3.12 3.00
Near Vision 3.00 3.12
Originality 3.00 3.12
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 3.00
Time Sharing 2.88 3.00
Far Vision 2.75 2.75
Speed of Closure 2.75 2.50
Memorization 2.62 2.62
Visualization 2.25 2.12
Perceptual Speed 2.00 2.38
Auditory Attention 2.00 2.00
Number Facility 2.00 2.00
Mathematical Reasoning 2.00 1.88
Hearing Sensitivity 2.00 1.75
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 1.62
Trunk Strength 1.88 1.50
Reaction Time 1.88 1.38
Response Orientation 1.88 1.38
Explosive Strength 1.62 1.12
Static Strength 1.62 1.00
Multilimb Coordination 1.62 0.62
Stamina 1.62 0.62
Gross Body Coordination 1.50 0.50
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.50 0.50
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.38 0.38
Control Precision 1.38 0.38
Depth Perception 1.38 0.38
Dynamic Strength 1.38 0.38
Extent Flexibility 1.38 0.38
Finger Dexterity 1.38 0.38
Glare Sensitivity 1.38 0.38
Night Vision 1.38 0.38
Peripheral Vision 1.38 0.38
Rate Control 1.38 0.38
Sound Localization 1.38 0.38
Spatial Orientation 1.38 0.38
Speed of Limb Movement 1.25not rated
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.25not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors separately. These are the figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (21-1018), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Bloomington, IN9604.13$52,710
Pueblo, CO7003.60$58,380
Bay City, MI3503.24$37,620
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA7303.11$52,060
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA5902.85$58,810
Mankato, MN5002.80$63,460
Springfield, MA1,7902.80$58,750
Altoona, PA5102.76$46,260
Lynchburg, VA7802.55$60,220
Pittsfield, MA4402.44$55,100

More metros, other thresholds