Pay distribution $45,870 10th $52,940 25th $84,260 75th $109,830 90th
Half of Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Boulder metro area earn more than $75,020 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $52,940 and $84,260.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $45,870 $52,940 $75,020 $84,260 $109,830 Hourly $22.05 $25.45 $36.07 $40.51 $52.80
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Boulder metro areathis metro area
$75,020 median for Boulder metro area; middle half earns $52,940 to $84,260
$62,390 median for Colorado; middle half earns $49,920 to $80,980
$59,350 median for United States; middle half earns $47,100 to $76,530
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +20% vs Colorado overall and +26% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $34,470 $50,873 $67,277 $83,680 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $34,470 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $36,520 Hammond, LA — $36,750 Alexandria, LA — $37,150 Bay City, MI — $37,620 Lafayette, LA — $37,660 Hattiesburg, MS — $38,300 Lake Charles, LA — $38,610 Gadsden, AL — $41,690 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $42,140 Manhattan, KS — $42,200 Spartanburg, SC — $43,810 Clarksville, TN-KY — $43,970 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $44,250 Cleveland, TN — $44,820 Longview, TX — $44,990 Monroe, LA — $45,310 Lawton, OK — $45,660 Mobile, AL — $45,740 Altoona, PA — $46,260 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $46,310 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $46,380 Williamsport, PA — $46,380 Lubbock, TX — $46,390 Homosassa Springs, FL — $46,480 Jackson, TN — $46,520 Sebring, FL — $46,550 Montgomery, AL — $46,580 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $46,690 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $46,810 Victoria, TX — $46,820 Baton Rouge, LA — $46,840 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $46,900 Johnson City, TN — $46,980 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $47,230 Jackson, MS — $47,380 Jefferson City, MO — $47,480 Rapid City, SD — $47,620 Winston-Salem, NC — $47,620 Albany, GA — $47,820 Fayetteville, NC — $47,980 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $48,100 Springfield, MO — $48,120 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $48,220 Hot Springs, AR — $48,220 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $48,310 Evansville, IN — $48,490 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $48,490 Huntsville, AL — $48,530 Johnstown, PA — $48,560 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $48,570 Abilene, TX — $48,580 Dothan, AL — $48,580 Muncie, IN — $48,800 Knoxville, TN — $48,910 Charleston, WV — $48,960 Wilmington, NC — $48,970 Sumter, SC — $49,030 Lancaster, PA — $49,060 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $49,120 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $49,180 Elmira, NY — $49,210 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $49,220 Columbus, IN — $49,240 Decatur, AL — $49,360 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $49,500 Tuscaloosa, AL — $49,560 Chambersburg, PA — $49,570 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $49,630 Erie, PA — $49,820 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $49,910 Goldsboro, NC — $49,990 Dalton, GA — $50,050 Tyler, TX — $50,160 Corpus Christi, TX — $50,250 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $50,260 Midland, TX — $50,330 Valdosta, GA — $50,360 Burlington, NC — $50,440 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $50,500 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $50,580 Winchester, VA-WV — $50,580 Odessa, TX — $50,680 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $50,810 Utica-Rome, NY — $50,890 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $50,970 Morristown, TN — $50,990 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $51,060 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $51,070 Duluth, MN-WI — $51,170 Gainesville, FL — $51,280 Warner Robins, GA — $51,280 Gettysburg, PA — $51,330 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $51,410 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $51,470 York-Hanover, PA — $51,470 Savannah, GA — $51,620 Beckley, WV — $51,660 Morgantown, WV — $51,680 Decatur, IL — $51,740 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $51,740 Owensboro, KY — $51,770 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $51,910 Rome, GA — $51,990 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $52,000 Roanoke, VA — $52,040 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $52,060 Rocky Mount, NC — $52,060 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $52,100 Wheeling, WV-OH — $52,270 Jacksonville, NC — $52,620 Bloomington, IN — $52,710 Joplin, MO-KS — $52,800 Asheville, NC — $53,090 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $53,260 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $53,420 Salisbury, MD — $53,480 State College, PA — $53,540 Mansfield, OH — $53,650 Rockford, IL — $53,670 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $53,760 Jackson, MI — $53,820 Ocala, FL — $53,820 Waco, TX — $53,920 Birmingham, AL — $53,990 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $54,060 Pittsburgh, PA — $54,290 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $54,450 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $54,630 Gainesville, GA — $54,670 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $54,760 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $54,820 Terre Haute, IN — $55,050 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $55,060 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $55,060 Pittsfield, MA — $55,100 Port St. Lucie, FL — $55,220 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $55,270 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $55,270 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $55,320 Florence, SC — $55,340 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $55,480 Greenville, NC — $55,490 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $55,520 Hinesville, GA — $55,540 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $55,570 Reading, PA — $55,690 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $55,750 Bloomington, IL — $55,890 Columbus, GA-AL — $55,910 Springfield, OH — $55,940 Saginaw, MI — $55,960 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $55,990 Texarkana, TX-AR — $56,030 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $56,090 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $56,130 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $56,260 Redding, CA — $56,340 St. Cloud, MN — $56,390 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $56,580 Canton-Massillon, OH — $56,640 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $56,710 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $56,780 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $56,870 Jonesboro, AR — $56,930 Columbia, MO — $57,010 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $57,030 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $57,080 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $57,210 Charlottesville, VA — $57,220 Lima, OH — $57,230 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $57,290 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $57,340 Peoria, IL — $57,350 College Station-Bryan, TX — $57,360 Dubuque, IA — $57,530 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $57,660 Binghamton, NY — $57,720 Bowling Green, KY — $57,720 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $57,750 Great Falls, MT — $57,850 Richmond, VA — $57,860 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $57,880 Syracuse, NY — $57,940 Worcester, MA — $57,950 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $58,070 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $58,140 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $58,190 Toledo, OH — $58,190 Paducah, KY-IL — $58,240 Tallahassee, FL — $58,240 Flint, MI — $58,250 Grand Junction, CO — $58,300 Billings, MT — $58,350 Pueblo, CO — $58,380 Urban Honolulu, HI — $58,500 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $58,520 St. Louis, MO-IL — $58,570 Sandusky, OH — $58,570 Yakima, WA — $58,590 Elizabethtown, KY — $58,720 Reno, NV — $58,720 Springfield, MA — $58,750 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $58,790 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $58,810 Killeen-Temple, TX — $58,820 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $58,870 Tulsa, OK — $58,880 Columbia, SC — $58,920 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $58,980 Kokomo, IN — $59,040 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $59,120 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $59,180 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $59,230 Fort Wayne, IN — $59,250 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $59,280 Wichita, KS — $59,280 Glens Falls, NY — $59,350 Columbus, OH — $59,370 Kankakee, IL — $59,440 Springfield, IL — $59,450 Missoula, MT — $59,480 Lebanon, PA — $59,510 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $59,560 Greeley, CO — $59,580 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $59,600 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $59,620 Rochester, NY — $59,620 Cleveland, OH — $59,630 Oklahoma City, OK — $59,660 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $59,680 Colorado Springs, CO — $59,740 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $59,790 Fresno, CA — $59,790 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $59,800 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $59,800 Green Bay, WI — $59,930 Bangor, ME — $59,970 Cedar Rapids, IA — $59,990 Rochester, MN — $60,010 Akron, OH — $60,030 Kingston, NY — $60,040 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $60,070 Fargo, ND-MN — $60,130 Minot, ND — $60,130 Monroe, MI — $60,170 Lynchburg, VA — $60,220 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $60,240 Kenosha, WI — $60,300 Grand Island, NE — $60,320 Appleton, WI — $60,380 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $60,430 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $60,430 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $60,580 Omaha, NE-IA — $60,650 Kansas City, MO-KS — $60,690 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $60,770 Laredo, TX — $60,780 Merced, CA — $60,780 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $60,830 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $60,880 Punta Gorda, FL — $60,880 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $60,890 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $60,970 Dover, DE — $60,990 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $61,020 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $61,050 Topeka, KS — $61,100 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $61,200 Wausau, WI — $61,240 Tucson, AZ — $61,250 Jacksonville, FL — $61,260 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $61,320 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $61,400 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $61,600 Boise City, ID — $61,730 Eau Claire, WI — $61,810 Harrisonburg, VA — $61,830 Pocatello, ID — $61,860 Twin Falls, ID — $61,870 Barnstable Town, MA — $61,880 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $61,960 Traverse City, MI — $61,990 Yuba City, CA — $62,030 Wichita Falls, TX — $62,070 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $62,130 Fond du Lac, WI — $62,190 Casper, WY — $62,250 Portland-South Portland, ME — $62,300 Cheyenne, WY — $62,410 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $62,460 Visalia, CA — $62,500 El Paso, TX — $62,510 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $62,560 Napa, CA — $62,580 Modesto, CA — $62,700 Sherman-Denison, TX — $62,700 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $62,760 Chico, CA — $62,780 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $62,810 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $63,010 Helena, MT — $63,060 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $63,100 New Haven, CT — $63,110 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $63,230 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $63,360 Mankato, MN — $63,460 Flagstaff, AZ — $63,560 San Angelo, TX — $63,560 Vineland, NJ — $63,560 Lexington Park, MD — $63,820 Sheboygan, WI — $63,820 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $63,980 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $64,100 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $64,100 Madison, WI — $64,250 Lawrence, KS — $64,370 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $64,450 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $64,560 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $64,910 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $64,950 Bozeman, MT — $64,990 Ithaca, NY — $65,010 Longview-Kelso, WA — $65,140 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $65,220 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $65,270 Yuma, AZ — $65,300 Enid, OK — $65,360 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $65,370 Ann Arbor, MI — $65,440 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $65,940 Carson City, NV — $66,000 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $66,020 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $66,060 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $66,540 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $66,750 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $66,780 Iowa City, IA — $66,810 Vallejo, CA — $66,940 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $67,370 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $67,450 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $67,510 Amarillo, TX — $67,630 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $67,650 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $68,140 Walla Walla, WA — $68,160 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $68,300 Battle Creek, MI — $68,370 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $68,400 Medford, OR — $68,990 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $69,090 Lewiston, ID-WA — $69,200 Ogden, UT — $69,590 Ames, IA — $69,750 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $69,770 Bismarck, ND — $70,810 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $70,970 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $71,120 St. George, UT — $72,510 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $72,550 Logan, UT-ID — $72,580 Idaho Falls, ID — $72,630 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $72,770 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $72,960 Farmington, NM — $73,070 Niles, MI — $73,200 Midland, MI — $73,450 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $73,540 Grants Pass, OR — $73,550 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $73,580 El Centro, CA — $73,620 Salinas, CA — $73,940 Albuquerque, NM — $73,990 Santa Fe, NM — $74,100 Boulder, CO — $75,020 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $75,180 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $75,420 Bend, OR — $75,470 Corvallis, OR — $75,700 Las Cruces, NM — $76,350 Lincoln, NE — $76,480 Bellingham, WA — $77,620 Salem, OR — $78,870 Albany, OR — $78,910 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $80,770 Anchorage, AK — $81,120 Fairbanks-College, AK — $83,680 Boulder metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Boulder metro area has the 13th-highest published median for this occupation among the 387 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Colorado Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Boulder metro areathis page
$75,020 median for Boulder metro area; middle half earns $52,940 to $84,260
$71,120 median for Fort Collins metro area; middle half earns $50,440 to $86,050
$62,810 median for Denver metro area; middle half earns $52,500 to $82,340
$59,740 median for Colorado Springs metro area; middle half earns $46,400 to $81,600
$59,580 median for Greeley metro area; middle half earns $47,970 to $76,660
$58,380 median for Pueblo metro area; middle half earns $45,670 to $74,990
$58,300 median for Grand Junction metro area; middle half earns $44,340 to $75,560
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $56,780 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $75,030 Child, Family, and School Social Workers $64,660 Social and Human Service Assistants $52,830 Healthcare Social Workers $77,820 Social Workers, All Other $64,250 Highest-paying metro areas for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselorss · Highest-paying occupations in Boulder Metro
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .