BLS metro-level wage data places Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at a median of $65,270 per year ($31.38/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $59,350, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays +10% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 9,030 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselorss are employed across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA in SOC 21-1018.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pay distribution spans from $46,520 at the 10th percentile to $104,170 at the 90th — a 2.2× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $50,870 and the 75th at $83,370, so half of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria-based substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselorss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide DC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.