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Substance abuse counselor demographics and statistics in the US

Substance abuse counselor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates substance abuse counselor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our substance abuse counselor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about substance abuse counselors after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 68,579 substance abuse counselors currently employed in the United States.
  • 65.7% of all substance abuse counselors are women, while 34.3% are men.
  • The average substance abuse counselor age is 39 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of substance abuse counselors is White (63.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.4%), Black or African American (11.4%) and Unknown (4.6%).
  • Substance abuse counselors are most in-demand in New York, NY.
  • The non profits industry is the highest-paying for substance abuse counselors.
  • Trenton, NJ pays an annual average wage of $54,419, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women substance abuse counselors earned 102% of what men earned.
  • 12% of all substance abuse counselors are LGBT.
  • Massachusetts is the best state for substance abuse counselors to live.
  • Substance abuse counselors are 70% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
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Substance abuse counselor demographics by:

Substance abuse counselor gender statistics

65.7% of substance abuse counselors are women and 34.3% of substance abuse counselors are men.
  • Female, 65.7%
  • Male, 34.3%

Substance abuse counselor gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Female65.7%
Male34.3%

Substance abuse counselor gender pay gap

Women earn $1.02 for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$37,690
female-income
Female income
$38,373

Substance abuse counselor gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in substance abuse counselor positions over time. Currently, 65.7% of substance abuse counselors are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Substance abuse counselor gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201038.43%61.57%
201136.70%63.30%
201236.48%63.52%
201336.23%63.77%
201435.16%64.84%
201535.24%64.76%
201634.03%65.97%
201733.24%66.76%
201837.10%62.90%
201934.36%65.64%
202035.76%64.24%
202134.30%65.70%

Substance abuse counselor related jobs gender ratio

We compared substance abuse counselors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Breastfeeding Educator2%98%
Certified Lactation Counselor3%97%
Lactation Specialist5%95%
Substance Abuse Counselor34%66%
Donation Worker70%30%
Rehabilitation Engineer70%30%
Public Health Worker81%19%

Substance abuse counselor demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among substance abuse counselors is White, which makes up 63.2% of all substance abuse counselors. Comparatively, 15.4% of substance abuse counselors are Hispanic or Latino and 11.4% of substance abuse counselors are Black or African American.
  • White, 63.2%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 15.4%
  • Black or African American, 11.4%
  • Unknown, 4.6%
  • Asian, 4.6%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%

Substance abuse counselor race

Substance abuse counselor racePercentages
White63.2%
Hispanic or Latino15.4%
Black or African American11.4%
Unknown4.6%
Asian4.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%

Substance abuse counselor race and ethnicity over time

See how substance abuse counselor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Substance abuse counselor race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201070.45%15.69%2.72%8.31%
201169.57%15.56%2.82%8.79%
201268.76%15.46%2.62%9.65%
201369.18%15.73%2.66%9.33%
201468.78%15.39%2.79%9.76%
201569.46%14.13%3.09%10.11%
201668.87%14.04%2.98%10.56%
201769.66%14.06%2.85%10.41%
201865.94%14.41%3.75%11.65%
201964.53%13.07%4.01%14.60%
202064.98%13.64%3.66%11.40%
202163.21%11.43%4.56%15.39%

Substance abuse counselor wage gap by race

According to our data, hispanic or latino substance abuse counselors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american substance abuse counselors have the lowest average salary at $34,900.
$40,000
$39,000
$38,000
$37,000
$36,000
$35,000
$34,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$38,548
White$36,785
Black or African American$34,900
Asian$38,593
Hispanic or Latino$39,820

Average substance abuse counselor age

See how the average age of substance abuse counselors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Substance abuse counselor age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown3736.5
White4136
Black or African American4242
Asian32
Hispanic or Latino4431

Substance abuse counselor age breakdown

The average age of substance abuse counselors is 40+ years years old, representing 43% of the substance abuse counselor population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Substance abuse counselor age breakdown

Substance Abuse Counselor YearsPercentages
40+ years43%
30-40 years34%
20-30 years23%

Substance abuse counselor educational attainment

The most common degree for substance abuse counselors is bachelor's degree, with 57% of substance abuse counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 57%
  • Master's, 25%
  • Associate, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

Substance abuse counselors by degree level

Substance abuse counselor degreePercentages
Bachelor's57%
Master's25%
Associate14%
High School Diploma2%
Other Degrees2%

Substance abuse counselor jobs you might like

Substance abuse counselor wage gap by degree level

$52,000
$49,000
$46,000
$43,000
$40,000
$37,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$50,728
Bachelor's Degree$39,245

Substance abuse counselor employment statistics

Most substance abuse counselors work for a private in the health care industry.

Company size where substance abuse counselors work

Below, you can see the size of companies where substance abuse counselors work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Substance abuse counselor jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees7%
50 - 100 employees29%
100 - 500 employees35%
500 - 1,000 employees10%
1,000 - 10,000 employees15%
> 10,000 employees5%

Substance abuse counselor jobs by company type

Employees with the substance abuse counselor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most substance abuse counselors prefer to work at private companies over government companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Substance abuse counselor jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education6%
Public5%
Private70%
Government20%

Substance abuse counselor jobs by industry

The most common industries for substance abuse counselors are health care, non profits and government.

Health Care

Non Profits

Government

Professional

Education

Substance abuse counselor turnover and employment statistics

Substance abuse counselor unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for substance abuse counselors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Substance abuse counselor unemployment rate by year

YearSubstance abuse counselor unemployment rate
20105.18%
20115.42%
20124.84%
20134.91%
20143.67%
20153.13%
20163.01%
20172.42%
20183.06%
20192.95%
20204.12%
20213.51%

Average substance abuse counselor tenure

The average substance abuse counselor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 18,741 substance abuse counselors resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Substance abuse counselor tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year21%
1-2 years37%
3-4 years15%
5-7 years15%
8-10 years5%
11+ years6%

Substance abuse counselor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of substance abuse counselors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Anger Control Counselor8.96%58,069
Truant Officer9.50%55,684
Sexual Assault Social Worker11.25%42,731
Community Liaison11.48%30,431
Substance Abuse Counselor12.13%-
Psychotherapist-Counselor15.06%28,899
Mental Health Practitioner15.06%140,365

Similar substance abuse counselor jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Anger Control Counselor8.96%58,069
Truant Officer9.50%55,684
Sexual Assault Social Worker11.25%42,731
Community Liaison11.48%30,431
Psychotherapist-Counselor15.06%28,899
Mental Health Practitioner15.06%140,365

Foreign languages spoken by substance abuse counselors

The most common foreign language among substance abuse counselors is Spanish at 77.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.8% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 2.8%.
  • Spanish, 77.7%
  • French, 6.8%
  • Portuguese, 2.8%
  • Russian, 2.4%
  • Chinese, 1.5%
  • Other, 8.8%

Substance abuse counselor languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish77.7%
French6.8%
Portuguese2.8%
Russian2.4%
Chinese1.5%
Other8.8%

Substance abuse counselor jobs

Substance abuse counselor location demographics

Where do substance abuse counselors earn the most?

Substance abuse counselors earn the most in New Hampshire, where the average substance abuse counselor salary is $55,779. The map here shows where substance abuse counselors earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Substance Abuse Counselors?

By looking through more than 18,741 resumes, we found that the most popular places for substance abuse counselors are New York, NY and Chicago, IL.
Number of Substance Abuse Counselors

Substance abuse counselor jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California3,271$44,768
2Massachusetts2,265$53,249
3New York1,640$51,090
4Florida1,591$34,030
5Texas1,351$36,918
6Pennsylvania1,336$47,926
7Illinois1,219$46,109
8Washington932$47,373
9New Jersey926$54,686
10Georgia894$37,482
11Maryland882$46,528
12Michigan795$49,045
13Ohio717$47,820
14Minnesota690$52,675
15Arizona677$46,473
16Virginia641$46,681
17Colorado599$43,880
18North Carolina588$41,517
19Indiana569$38,239
20Connecticut443$52,959
21Missouri433$39,295
22Tennessee397$34,472
23Oregon394$46,743
24South Carolina385$35,668
25Wisconsin364$50,090
26Iowa309$46,683
27Louisiana298$35,959
28Arkansas272$40,722
29Oklahoma262$35,217
30Kentucky251$47,644
31Maine242$47,671
32Utah219$42,497
33Alabama215$39,957
34Nebraska208$51,761
35Kansas179$43,260
36New Mexico178$43,334
37Nevada166$47,050
38Mississippi166$43,865
39District of Columbia162$49,140
40Idaho151$45,346
41New Hampshire150$55,779
42Montana148$53,972
43Alaska136$47,449
44Rhode Island124$52,452
45Delaware114$50,588
46Hawaii110$45,971
47West Virginia94$46,792
48South Dakota92$40,831
49North Dakota74$45,982
50Vermont59$52,552
51Wyoming48$50,739

Where are substance abuse counselors in high demand?

Substance abuse counselors are in high demand in New York, NY. There are currently 61 job openings for substance abuse counselors here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country substance abuse counselors are in the most demand.
Jobs openings

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