# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers
- SOC code: 21-1023.00
- Career family: Community and social service
- Median annual pay: $60,280 (10th percentile $39,740, 90th percentile $104,170)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +10.3%
- Openings a year: 12,500
- Typical entry education: Master's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 12 |
| Investigative (I) | 51 |
| Artistic (A) | 30 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 24 |
| Conventional (C) | 35 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 89/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 89/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 89/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 87/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 86/100)
- Getting Information (importance 84/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 83/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 80/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 80/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 80/100)

## Skills

Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Service Orientation, Learning Strategies

## Knowledge

Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Sociology and Anthropology, Public Safety and Security, Medicine and Dentistry, Philosophy and Theology, Administration and Management

## Also called

Addictions Counselor, Alcoholism Worker, Assessment Specialist, Behavior Specialist, Behavioral Case Manager, Behavioral Clinician, Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM), Behavioral Health Case Manager, Behavioral Health Social Worker, Behavioral Health Utilization Management Representative (Behavioral Health Utilization Management Rep)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5115) (CIP 5115, 969 colleges)
- [Social Work](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4407) (CIP 4407, 849 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $70,054 | $76,395 | $13,021 |
| [Providence College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/providence-college-2158) | Social Work | not reported | $70,356 | not reported |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | Social Work | $46,845 | $70,273 | $11,000 |
| [California State University-San Bernardino](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-san-bernardino-376) | Social Work | $59,991 | $69,201 | $11,000 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | Social Work | $44,889 | $68,524 | $21,763 |
| [California State University-Long Beach](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-long-beach-371) | Social Work | $45,614 | $68,448 | $11,000 |
| [Pacific Lutheran University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-lutheran-university-2059) | Social Work | not reported | $67,458 | $18,862 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Social Work | $51,615 | $67,393 | $8,893 |

## Related careers

- [Mental Health Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-counselors): $59,350 median pay
- [Healthcare Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/healthcare-social-workers): $67,880 median pay
- [Marriage and Family Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marriage-and-family-therapists): $66,940 median pay
- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay
- [Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/substance-abuse-and-behavioral-disorder-counselors): $59,350 median pay
- [Clinical and Counseling Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-and-counseling-psychologists): $100,580 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.