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Social Services

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$59,350

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$39k – $98k

Job outlook

+17% (much 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 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

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 "Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors" — 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 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

    Entry / Junior

    $38,940

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

    Established

    $59,350

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

    Senior

    $78,470

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
  • •Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
  • •Assess individuals' degree of drug dependency by collecting and analyzing urine samples.
  • •Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments.
  • •Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Social Services

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