Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035 (about 14,300 more jobs), with about 12,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $60,280 a year ranks 424th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +10.3%
- Openings a year
- 12,500
- Median pay
- $60,280
- Pay rank
- 424th of 825
Is employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers to rise 10.3% (about 14,300 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 17 community and social service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 58th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 138,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 153,200 |
| Projected change | +10.3% |
| Openings a year | 12,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 138,900 jobs here differ from the 132,810 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 12,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 232nd most of 830 occupations. About 89% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,430 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for mental health and substance abuse social workers rank?
The median of $60,280 a year ranks 424th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: master's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: internship/residency.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | +8.5% | 16,900 | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | +13.5% | 6,900 | $66,940 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | +2.2% | 8,200 | $46,850 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | +4.4% | 33,900 | $59,550 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | +7.4% | 48,900 | $45,930 |
| Community Health Workers | +12.7% | 7,000 | $51,850 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | +11.7% | 4,100 | $100,580 |
| Registered Nurses | +5.6% | 180,800 | $97,550 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.