Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City

In New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY), the median pay for mental health and substance abuse social workers is $39.64 an hour ($82,450 a year). About 12,090 people work in this job there.

$39.64Median hourly pay
$65,550–$98,880Middle half of workers, yearly
12,090People in this job in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

That is 37% higher than the U.S. median ($60,280). It is 4% higher than the New York median ($79,380).

Pay range for mental health and substance abuse social workers in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$25.39$52,800
25% of workers$31.52$65,550
Half of workers (median)$39.64$82,450
75% of workers$47.54$98,880
90% of workers$60.51$125,870

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers pay in New York metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
New York-Newark-Jersey City (this page)$82,45012,090
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh$79,870410
Elmira$79,41050
Ithaca$78,22070
Albany-Schenectady-Troy$76,970530
Utica-Rome$73,200190
Kingston$71,790120
Glens Falls$71,710110
Syracuse$71,170310
Buffalo-Cheektowaga$70,230630
Binghamton$68,940160
Rochester$68,880730
Watertown-Fort Drum$64,66070

New York unemployment rate: 4.3% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for mental health and substance abuse social workers

  • Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
  • Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +10.3% over ten years, much faster than average · about 12,500 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

JobMedian yearly pay
Registered Nurses$119,720
Child, Family, and School Social Workers$66,540
Healthcare Social Workers$78,610
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$120,510
Psychiatrists$249,130
Marriage and Family Therapists$91,130
Rehabilitation Counselors$50,000
Social and Human Service Assistants$47,860

Other job titles for this job

Behavior SpecialistCounselorMental Health ClinicianMental Health ProfessionalOutpatient TherapistTreatment CoordinatorClinical TherapistDirect Care CounselorLicensed Clinical Social WorkerAddictions CounselorAlcoholism WorkerBehavioral Case Manager

Open mental health and substance abuse social workers jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring mental health and substance abuse social workers? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job freeFind jobsCheck pay for any job
Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers/new-york/new-york-newark-jersey-city.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: 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; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.