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Alcohol and drug counselor salary
Average alcohol and drug counselor salary
$45,758
Understanding Salary Trends for Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Alcohol and drug counselors play a vital role in helping individuals overcome addiction, and their salaries can vary based on several factors. The average annual salary stands at $45,758, with hourly wages around $22. These figures can differ significantly depending on location, experience, and the specific industry.
For instance, counselors working in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries due to the demand for services in urban centers. Additionally, specialized roles within healthcare or rehabilitation facilities may offer competitive compensation. Many counselors find opportunities in various settings, including hospitals, private practices, and community organizations, each with unique salary structures.
Highest Paying Cities for this profession include metropolitan areas where demand is high, allowing for better compensation packages. Seeking positions in these locations can lead to increased earnings.
Overall, pursuing a career as an alcohol and drug counselor not only offers a rewarding professional path but also the potential for a stable and lucrative salary, especially with experience and specialization.
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Where can an Alcohol And Drug Counselor earn more?
Average alcohol and drug counselor salary by state
The average alcohol and drug counselor salary in California, Alaska, and Wyoming are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average alcohol and drug counselor salary states are New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for alcohol and drug counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $51,887 | $24.95 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $47,427 | $22.80 |
| 3 | Alaska | $49,456 | $23.78 |
| 4 | Nevada | $46,361 | $22.29 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $43,413 | $20.87 |
| 6 | Washington | $42,795 | $20.57 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $42,291 | $20.33 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $44,897 | $21.59 |
| 9 | Idaho | $42,762 | $20.56 |
| 10 | Illinois | $40,381 | $19.41 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $41,066 | $19.74 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $43,299 | $20.82 |
| 13 | Colorado | $42,253 | $20.31 |
| 14 | Texas | $40,309 | $19.38 |
| 15 | Oregon | $40,216 | $19.33 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $43,720 | $21.02 |
| 17 | Kansas | $41,995 | $20.19 |
| 18 | Utah | $40,944 | $19.68 |
| 19 | Alabama | $40,211 | $19.33 |
| 20 | Arizona | $36,976 | $17.78 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $30,986 | $14.90 |
| 22 | Montana | $35,679 | $17.15 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $37,996 | $18.27 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $28,822 | $13.86 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $36,931 | $17.76 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $36,309 | $17.46 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $37,720 | $18.13 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $36,286 | $17.45 |
| 29 | Maine | $26,914 | $12.94 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $37,738 | $18.14 |
| 31 | Georgia | $37,200 | $17.88 |
| 32 | Florida | $34,505 | $16.59 |
| 33 | New York | $30,771 | $14.79 |
| 34 | Maryland | $33,897 | $16.30 |
| 35 | Michigan | $34,252 | $16.47 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $31,478 | $15.13 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $30,052 | $14.45 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $34,541 | $16.61 |
| 39 | Missouri | $37,773 | $18.16 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $35,291 | $16.97 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $30,460 | $14.64 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $34,709 | $16.69 |
| 43 | Delaware | $33,048 | $15.89 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $28,604 | $13.75 |
| 45 | Virginia | $36,177 | $17.39 |
| 46 | Vermont | $29,679 | $14.27 |
| 47 | Iowa | $34,832 | $16.75 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $33,869 | $16.28 |
| 49 | Ohio | $32,676 | $15.71 |
| 50 | Indiana | $32,391 | $15.57 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $33,721 | $16.21 |
Highest paying cities for alcohol and drug counselors
The highest-paying cities for alcohol and drug counselors are Santa Rosa, CA, Austin, MN, and Longview, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $52,648 | $25.31 |
| 2 | Austin, MN | $43,684 | $21.00 |
| 3 | Longview, WA | $43,239 | $20.79 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $40,470 | $19.46 |
| 5 | Albany, OR | $40,277 | $19.36 |
| 6 | Rapid City, SD | $38,246 | $18.39 |
| 7 | Albany, GA | $37,016 | $17.80 |
| 8 | Shreveport, LA | $36,902 | $17.74 |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $36,477 | $17.54 |
| 10 | Lincoln, NE | $36,294 | $17.45 |
| 11 | Des Moines, IA | $35,228 | $16.94 |
| 12 | Dayton, OH | $34,598 | $16.63 |
| 13 | Trenton, NJ | $30,803 | $14.81 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh, PA | $30,694 | $14.76 |
| 15 | Rochester, NY | $30,491 | $14.66 |
| 16 | Portland, ME | $26,460 | $12.72 |
Alcohol and drug counselor salary details
An alcohol and drug counselor's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an alcohol and drug counselor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $45,758 | $3,813 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying alcohol and drug counselor jobs
The highest paying types of alcohol and drug counselors are licensed professional counselor, primary therapist, and psychiatric social worker.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Therapist | $59,826 | $4,985 | $28.76 | 85,127 |
| Mental Health Professional | $49,119 | $4,093 | $23.61 | 109,499 |
| Family Therapist | $50,774 | $4,231 | $24.41 | 106,982 |
| Psychiatric Social Worker | $59,144 | $4,929 | $28.43 | 57,284 |
| Counselor Internship | $45,500 | $3,792 | $21.88 | 132,694 |
| Intensive In-Home Counselor | $51,428 | $4,286 | $24.73 | 122,300 |
Top companies hiring alcohol and drug counselors now:
Which companies pay alcohol and drug counselors the most?
Alcohol and drug counselor salaries at Montage Health and Sharp HealthCare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average alcohol and drug counselor salary at companies like Prime Healthcare and Health Alliance are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montage Health | $65,660 | $31.57 |
| 2 | Sharp HealthCare | $58,666 | $28.20 |
| 3 | Prime Healthcare | $57,555 | $27.67 |
| 4 | Health Alliance | $57,074 | $27.44 |
| 5 | Kaiser Permanente | $52,902 | $25.43 |
| 6 | Minnesota State Fair | $51,401 | $24.71 |
| 7 | Aurora | $49,402 | $23.75 |
| 8 | New Seasons Market | $48,876 | $23.50 |
| 9 | Mayo Clinic | $47,960 | $23.06 |
| 10 | New Bridge Medical Center | $46,959 | $22.58 |
| 11 | Southwest Key Programs | $46,957 | $22.58 |
| 12 | Waddington North America Inc | $46,643 | $22.42 |
| 13 | Universal Health Services | $46,345 | $22.28 |
| 14 | Job Corps | $46,328 | $22.27 |
| 15 | Travis County | $46,147 | $22.19 |
| 16 | Fort Bend County | $46,004 | $22.12 |
| 17 | UnityPoint Health | $45,946 | $22.09 |
| 18 | Metropolitan | $45,689 | $21.97 |
| 19 | Apis | $45,519 | $21.88 |
| 20 | Advanced Practice Strategies, Inc. | $45,484 | $21.87 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Alcohol And Drug Counselor salary by industry
The average alcohol and drug counselor salary varies across industries:
- The average alcohol and drug counselor salary in the professional industry is $44,333, the highest of any industry.
- The average alcohol and drug counselor salary in the finance industry is $39,732.
- Alcohol and drug counselors in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $38,566, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for alcohol and drug counselors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $44,333 | $21.31 |
| 2 | Government | $39,732 | $19.10 |
| 3 | Health Care | $38,643 | $18.58 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $38,566 | $18.54 |
High paying alcohol and drug counselor jobs
Alcohol and drug counselor salary trends
The average alcohol and drug counselor salary has risen by $6,848 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average alcohol and drug counselor earned $38,910 annually, but today, they earn $45,758 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for alcohol and drug counselors over the last decade.
Compare alcohol and drug counselor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average alcohol and drug counselor salary over time
Compare alcohol and drug counselor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Alcohol and drug counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,800 | $22.00 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $44,400 | $21.33 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $43,300 | $20.82 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $42,300 | $20.31 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $41,400 | $19.92 | +2.7% |
Recently added alcohol and drug counselor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pico de Gallo | Drug and Alcohol Counselor | Austin, TX | 06/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Nuway | Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Ladc) | Rochester, MN | 06/27/2025 | $70,000 |
| Corrhealth | /Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor | Tome, NM | 06/26/2025 | $43,827 |
| Amergis | Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Cadc) | Chicago, IL | 06/26/2025 | $58,436 |
| State of South Dakota | Chemical Dependency Counselor | Rapid City, SD | 06/24/2025 | $47,354 |
| Gateway Foundation | Alcohol & Drug Counselor | Newark, NJ | 06/23/2025 | $49,170 |
| Sierra Health and Wellness | Drug and Alcohol Counselor-SUD | Sacramento, CA | 06/21/2025 | $60,523 |
| Thriveworks | Dependently Licensed Counselor | Columbus, OH | 06/20/2025 | $40,000 |
| Northwell Health | Chem Depend Counselor III | New York, NY | 06/19/2025 | $83,021 |
| Mayo Clinic Health System | Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor I | Austin, MN | 06/14/2025 | $55,744 |
Alcohol and drug counselor salary FAQs
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