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Social Services

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.

Median salary (BLS)

$60,280

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$40k – $104k

Job outlook

+10% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $87,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$231,000

Time to qualify

7 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State license — supervised hours + exam

    License

    Most counseling and social-work roles (LCSW/LPC pattern) require supervised experience hours and a state exam.

    $200–$1,000 · 12 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

    Entry / Junior

    $39,740

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

    Established

    $60,280

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

    Senior

    $82,225

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
  • •Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
  • •Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
  • •Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
  • •Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Social Services

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.