Mental health and substance abuse social workers

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

28.1k

Average Age

44.4

Estimated Job Growth

16.7%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$53,780

Average Male Salary

$56,022

Average Female Salary

$53,061

About

Mental health and substance abuse social workers are most often employed by the Individual & family services industry. The average yearly wage for Mental health and substance abuse social workers was $53,780 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Mental health and substance abuse social workers by wage are Photographic process workers & processing machine operators, Electric motor, power tool, & related repairers, and Electrical & electronics repairers, transportation equipment, & industrial & utility.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers are part of the Community & Social Service Occupations, along with Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, Marriage and family therapists, Mental health counselors, Rehabilitation counselors, and 11 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Mental health and substance abuse social workers are Richmond City PUMA, VA, Edgewater, Uptown & Rogers Park PUMA, IL, and LA City (South Central/Westmont) PUMA, CA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Mental health and substance abuse social workers are Richmond City PUMA, VA, Edgewater, Uptown & Rogers Park PUMA, IL, and LA City (South Central/Westmont) PUMA, CA.

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Mental health and substance abuse social workers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Individual & family services 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. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are paid most in LA City (South Central/Westmont) PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Richmond City PUMA, VA.

Yearly Wage

$53,780

AVERAGE SALARY

± $4,794

In 2020, Mental health and substance abuse social workers earned an average of $53,780, $2,174 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Electric motor, power tool, & related repairers make somewhat more than Mental health and substance abuse social workers while Photographic process workers & processing machine operators make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Mental health and substance abuse social workers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.277

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Mental health and substance abuse social workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.277, which is lower than 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).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Mental health and substance abuse social workers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Mental health and substance abuse social workers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Mental health and substance abuse social workers.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Mental health and substance abuse social workers, by number of employees, are Individual & family services, Outpatient care centers, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Administration of human resource programs, Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities, Elementary & secondary schools, Justice, public order, & safety activities , Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services, Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, Nursing Care Facilities, and Insurance carriers.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Mental health and substance abuse social workers, by average wage, are National security & international affairs, Other health care services, and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals.

Industries by Share

28.1k

2020 Workforce

± 4,113

−6.33%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 21.8%

The number of people employed as Mental health and substance abuse social workers has been declining at a rate of −6.33%, from 29,959 people in 2019 to 28,064 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Mental health and substance abuse social workers employed by various industries. Individual & family services employs the largest share of Mental health and substance abuse social workers at 25.2%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 23.7% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 11.8%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Mental health and substance abuse social workers in the US. The average age of male Mental health and substance abuse social workers in the workforce is 44.8 and of female Mental health and substance abuse social workers is 44.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Mental health and substance abuse social workers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

6.81k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 2,026

21.3k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 3,579

75.7% of Mental health and substance abuse social workers are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Mental health and substance abuse social workers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Mental health and substance abuse social workers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

63% of Mental health and substance abuse social workers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 16.7% of Mental health and substance abuse social workers, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Mental health and substance abuse social workers.

Age by Sex

44.8

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 4.07

44.3

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 2.21

The median age of Mental health and substance abuse social workers is 44.4, and Male employees are generally 0.544 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

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 a relatively high number of Mental health and substance abuse social workers hold a major in 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.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

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.