What are the main factors that influence a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary?

A Substance Abuse Specialist's salary grows with experience: starting around $53,965 for beginners, reaching about $54,871 at mid-level, and approach $57,712 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Substance Abuse Specialist?

Substance Abuse Specialist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Substance Abuse Specialist roles are District of Columbia $61,172, California $60,940, Massachusetts $60,128. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Substance Abuse Specialist roles make?

Salaries for Substance Abuse Specialist level roles vary by specialization: Substance Abuse Program Director: $146,625; Substance Abuse Counseling Director: $122,690; substance abuse nurse: $75,018; Substance Abuse Clinician: $66,239; Substance Abuse Counselor: $65,800.

How do different companies affect a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Substance Abuse Specialist roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Substance Abuse Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Substance Abuse Specialist make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Substance Abuse Specialist in the United States is $55,249 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.

However, a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $66,472
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,810 to $61,124
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,858

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Substance Abuse Specialist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$61,124	$5,094	$1,175	$29
Average	$55,249	$4,604	$1,062	$27
25th Percentile	$49,810	$4,151	$958	$24

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Substance Abuse Specialist Salaries

A Substance Abuse Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Substance Abuse Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $53,965
Early Career (1-2 years): $54,343
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $54,871
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $55,816
Expert (over 8 years): $57,712

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Substance Abuse Specialist	$53,965
Intermediate Level Substance Abuse Specialist	$54,343
Senior Level Substance Abuse Specialist	$54,871
Specialist Level Substance Abuse Specialist	$55,816
Expert Level Substance Abuse Specialist	$57,712

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Substance Abuse Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Substance Abuse Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $61,172.
California: $60,940.
Massachusetts: $60,128.

District of Columbia $61,172 California $60,940 Massachusetts $60,128 Washington $59,907 New Jersey $59,885 Alaska $59,807 Connecticut $59,045 New York $58,735

Hawaii $57,746 Rhode Island $57,282 Maryland $56,967 Minnesota $56,537 Colorado $56,371 Illinois $56,316 Oregon $56,106 Delaware $55,951

New Hampshire $55,854 Virginia $55,636 Pennsylvania $55,001 Nevada $54,680 North Dakota $54,575 Michigan $54,409 Wisconsin $54,349 Vermont $54,227

Texas $53,890 Maine $53,868 Arizona $53,835 Ohio $53,796 Georgia $53,288 Indiana $53,034 Wyoming $52,984 Utah $52,907

Iowa $52,873 Kansas $52,608 Louisiana $52,531 North Carolina $52,503 Missouri $52,492 Florida $52,277 Montana $52,161 Nebraska $52,050

Kentucky $51,989 South Carolina $51,769 Tennessee $51,630 Idaho $51,575 New Mexico $51,172 Oklahoma $51,083 Alabama $50,757 South Dakota $50,210

Arkansas $49,912 West Virginia $49,752 Mississippi $49,271

Top Paying Cities for Substance Abuse Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $69,686
San Francisco: $69,001
Oakland: $67,470

San Jose, CA $69,686

San Francisco, CA $69,001

Oakland, CA $67,470

New York, NY $64,028

Queens Village, NY $63,614

Paramus, NJ $63,172

Passaic, NJ $63,117

Bergenfield, NJ $63,061

Stamford, CT $62,979

Huntington, NY $62,923

Newark, NJ $62,564

Bridgeport, CT $62,454

New Brunswick, NJ $62,271

Vallejo, CA $62,155

Middlesex, NJ $62,122

Somerset, NJ $62,072

Petaluma, CA $61,945

Santa Cruz, CA $61,730

Boston, MA $61,619

Monterey, CA $61,343

Fairbanks, AK $61,305

Los Angeles, CA $61,200

Washington, DC $61,172

Seattle, WA $61,072

Santa Rosa, CA $61,061

Juneau, AK $60,901

Orange, CA $60,719

Anchorage, AK $60,619

Anaheim, CA $60,581

Santa Ana, CA $60,498

Nassau, NY $60,465

Long Beach, CA $60,443

Danbury, CT $60,426

Santa Maria, CA $60,238

Everett, WA $60,227

Bremerton, WA $59,956

Trenton, NJ $59,851

Sacramento, CA $59,829

San Diego, CA $59,802

Brockton, MA $59,780

Tacoma, WA $59,758

Santa Barbara, CA $59,680

Lowell, MA $59,459

New Suffolk, NY $59,437

Nashua, NH $59,371

Lompoc, CA $59,282

Ventura, CA $59,227

Stockton, CA $59,211

New Haven, CT $59,100

Atlantic City, NJ $58,956

Hartford, CT $58,835

Modesto, CA $58,807

Poughkeepsie, NY $58,686

New Britain, CT $58,658

Olympia, WA $58,581

Kennewick, WA $58,581

New London, CT $58,570

Norwich, CT $58,553

Lawrence, MA $58,525

Bakersfield, CA $58,371

Riverside, CA $58,293

New Bedford, MA $58,293

Richland, WA $58,238

Portsmouth, NH $58,194

Vineland, NJ $58,183

San Bernardino, CA $58,139

Boulder, CO $57,984

Worcester, MA $57,940

Portland, OR $57,890

Saint Paul, MN $57,824

Minneapolis, MN $57,824

Philadelphia, PA $57,746

Honolulu, HI $57,454

Springfield, MA $57,260

Providence, RI $57,255

Chicago, IL $57,095

Bellingham, WA $57,028

Baltimore, MD $56,967

Chico, CA $56,829

Wilmington, DE $56,735

Pittsfield, MA $56,680

Manchester, NH $56,575

Spokane, WA $56,332

Denver, CO $56,327

Albany, NY $56,067

Troy, NY $56,045

Schenectady, NY $55,929

Burlington, VT $55,807

Portland, ME $55,614

Salem, OR $55,570

Yakima, WA $55,559

Ann Arbor, MI $55,542

Rochester, MN $55,387

Fresno, CA $55,360

Reno, NV $55,360

Milwaukee, WI $55,310

Detroit, MI $55,255

Allentown, PA $55,238

Carson City, NV $55,233

Houston, TX $55,150

Colorado Springs, CO $55,144

Syracuse, NY $55,117

Eugene, OR $55,012

Bismarck, ND $54,945

Gary, IN $54,945

Galveston, TX $54,945

Springfield, OR $54,901

Medford, OR $54,769

Fort Collins, CO $54,746

Austin, TX $54,702

Mesa, AZ $54,586

Phoenix, AZ $54,575

Dallas, TX $54,559

Reading, PA $54,525

Saint Cloud, MN $54,503

Concord, NH $54,454

Madison, WI $54,432

Utica, NY $54,282

Raleigh, NC $54,238

Las Vegas, NV $54,233

Rochester, NY $54,194

Des Moines, IA $54,188

Atlanta, GA $54,100

Battle Creek, MI $54,083

Salt Lake City, UT $54,067

Lancaster, PA $53,984

Champaign, IL $53,973

Harrisburg, PA $53,907

Durham, NC $53,857

Kansas City, MO $53,851

Kansas City, KS $53,840

Fort Worth, TX $53,835

Boca Raton, FL $53,813

Cleveland, OH $53,807

Columbus, OH $53,796

Pittsburgh, PA $53,791

Richmond, VA $53,769

Indianapolis, IN $53,757

Cincinnati, OH $53,686

Petersburg, VA $53,603

Billings, MT $53,481

Lansing, MI $53,481

Huntsville, AL $53,481

Lebanon, PA $53,476

Dayton, OH $53,470

Pueblo, CO $53,470

Appleton, WI $53,454

Buffalo, NY $53,432

Racine, WI $53,404

Charlotte, NC $53,398

Saint Louis, MO $53,382

Springfield, IL $53,360

Elkhart, IN $53,349

York, PA $53,349

Gastonia, NC $53,343

Benton Harbor, MI $53,343

Beaumont, TX $53,310

Lorain, OH $53,299

Toledo, OH $53,277

Binghamton, NY $53,249

Rock Hill, SC $53,244

Rockford, IL $53,216

Fargo, ND $53,188

Elyria, OH $53,188

Flagstaff, AZ $53,150

Fort Lauderdale, FL $53,117

Miami, FL $53,083

Duluth, MN $52,995

Bangor, ME $52,923

Cedar Rapids, IA $52,862

Louisville, KY $52,835

Grand Rapids, MI $52,824

Hialeah, FL $52,818

Casper, WY $52,741

Scranton, PA $52,675

New Orleans, LA $52,658

Virginia Beach, VA $52,652

Akron, OH $52,625

Peoria, IL $52,553

Sarasota, FL $52,542

Green Bay, WI $52,503

Baton Rouge, LA $52,476

Charleston, SC $52,465

Nashville, TN $52,448

Jamestown, NY $52,437

Davenport, IA $52,437

Tucson, AZ $52,409

Cheyenne, WY $52,393

Saint Petersburg, FL $52,376

Tampa, FL $52,365

Omaha, NE $52,354

Port Arthur, TX $52,332

Evansville, IN $52,332

Bradenton, FL $52,310

Santa Fe, NM $52,210

Orlando, FL $52,155

Clearwater, FL $52,094

Canton, OH $51,978

La Crosse, WI $51,978

Grand Forks, ND $51,962

Albuquerque, NM $51,945

Tulsa, OK $51,945

Newport News, VA $51,940

High Point, NC $51,923

Ogden, UT $51,901

Corpus Christi, TX $51,857

Laramie, WY $51,824

Norfolk, VA $51,824

Rock Island, IL $51,791

Saginaw, MI $51,780

Jacksonville, FL $51,774

Salisbury, NC $51,763

Memphis, TN $51,752

Moline, IL $51,724

Fort Myers, FL $51,708

Waterloo, IA $51,636

Spartanburg, SC $51,581

Lincoln, NE $51,553

Fort Wayne, IN $51,542

Birmingham, AL $51,481

Cedar Falls, IA $51,470

Provo, UT $51,465

Springfield, OH $51,459

San Antonio, TX $51,448

Greensboro, NC $51,426

South Bend, IN $51,420

Winston Salem, NC $51,415

Boise, ID $51,398

Savannah, GA $51,360

Muskegon, MI $51,260

Lima, OH $51,194

Lake Charles, LA $51,172

Anderson, IN $51,161

Lexington, KY $51,144

Augusta, GA $51,128

Greenville, SC $51,128

Wichita, KS $51,078

Tuscaloosa, AL $51,078

Columbia, SC $51,028

Bloomington, IN $50,890

Roanoke, VA $50,857

Asheville, NC $50,785

Knoxville, TN $50,691

Shreveport, LA $50,686

Wilmington, NC $50,614

Frankfort, KY $50,509

Oklahoma City, OK $50,470

Chillicothe, OH $50,448

Longview, TX $50,443

Topeka, KS $50,426

Mobile, AL $50,343

Terre Haute, IN $50,321

Erie, PA $50,315

Altoona, PA $50,288

Melbourne, FL $50,271

Amarillo, TX $50,249

Killeen, TX $50,233

Fayetteville, AR $50,188

Sioux Falls, SD $50,150

Chattanooga, TN $50,117

Idaho Falls, ID $50,111

Gainesville, FL $49,995

Portsmouth, OH $49,967

Little Rock, AR $49,956

Lynchburg, VA $49,956

Lafayette, LA $49,934

Youngstown, OH $49,934

Temple, TX $49,912

Daytona Beach, FL $49,901

Clarksville, TN $49,896

Pensacola, FL $49,890

Hopkinsville, KY $49,724

Charleston, WV $49,719

Florence, SC $49,691

Sioux City, IA $49,658

Macon, GA $49,498

Tallahassee, FL $49,492

Fayetteville, NC $49,481

Waco, TX $49,470

Wichita Falls, TX $49,470

Pine Bluff, AR $49,448

Vincennes, IN $49,343

Lubbock, TX $49,321

Great Falls, MT $49,288

Alamogordo, NM $49,282

Abilene, TX $49,238

Rapid City, SD $49,166

Monroe, LA $49,166

Albany, GA $49,133

Huntington, WV $49,128

Jackson, MS $49,122

Greenville, MS $49,117

Parkersburg, WV $49,061

Montgomery, AL $49,050

Johnstown, PA $49,039

Springfield, MO $48,995

Biloxi, MS $48,967

Sumter, SC $48,851

Columbus, GA $48,846

Twin Falls, ID $48,813

Pascagoula, MS $48,741

Kingsport, TN $48,597

Gulfport, MS $48,581

Alexandria, LA $48,398

Fort Smith, AR $48,260

El Paso, TX $48,111

Helena, MT $48,039

Las Cruces, NM $47,862

Harlingen, TX $47,708

Pocatello, ID $47,658

Florence, AL $47,641

Brownsville, TX $47,630

Dothan, AL $47,542

Mcallen, TX $47,514

Columbus, MS $47,105

Altus, OK $46,851

Lawton, OK $46,746

Pierre, SD $46,547

What Skills Can Increase a Substance Abuse Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 5.75% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Support Services (Mentioned in 3.63% Job Postings): Support Services means those activities provided to or on behalf of a person in the areas of personal care and assistance and property maintenance in order to allow a person to live in the least restrictive environment.
Group Counseling (Mentioned in 2.26% Job Postings): A form of psychotherapy that involves four to ten clients and two experienced group therapists. They meet every week for ninety minutes. During that time, they discuss the issues that are concerning them and offer each other support and feedback.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	5.75%
Support Services	3.63%
Group Counseling	2.26%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Substance Abuse Specialist's salary.

Community Health: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Pediatric: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Community Health	$59,669	8%
Pediatric	$59,669	8%
Initiative	$58,564	6%
Clinical Services	$58,012	5%
Collaboration	$57,459	4%
Clinical Documentation	$57,459	4%

Get Latest Data

Substance Abuse Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Substance Abuse Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$49,810

Average $55,249/year

$61,124

$4,151

Average $4,604/month

$5,094

$958

Average $1,062/week

$1,175

$24

Average $27/hour

$29

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$61,124	$5,094	$1,175	$29
Average	$55,249	$4,604	$1,062	$27
25th Percentile	$49,810	$4,151	$958	$24

Salaries of jobs related to Substance Abuse Specialist

Salary Trends for Substance Abuse Specialist

Salaries for a Substance Abuse Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $91,075 in 2023 to around $90,734 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Substance Abuse Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Substance Abuse Specialist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$91,075

2024

$91,988

2025

$90,734

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$91,075
2024	$91,988
2025	$90,734
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Substance Abuse Specialist

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