Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor in the United States is $67,208 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $83,305
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,773 to $75,634
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $56,826
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View as table View as graph 25% $61,773 10% $56,826 90% $83,305 75% $75,634 $67,208 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $75,634 $6,303 $1,454 $36
Average $67,208 $5,601 $1,292 $32
25th Percentile $61,773 $5,148 $1,188 $30
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Key Factors That Influence Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salaries

A Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor'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): $64,852
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $65,010
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $67,208
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $70,677
  • Expert (over 8 years): $70,925
Levels Salary
Entry Level Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor$64,852
Intermediate Level Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor$65,010
Senior Level Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor$67,208
Specialist Level Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor$70,677
Expert Level Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor$70,925
$64,852 0 yr
$65,010 < 2 yrs
$67,208 2-4 yrs
$70,677 5-8 yrs
$70,925 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselors

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: $84,769
  • San Francisco: $83,936
  • Oakland: $82,074

What Skills Can Increase a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 5.8% 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.
  • Social Work (Mentioned in 4.69% Job Postings): Social work is an academic discipline and profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being. Social functioning is the way in which people perform their social roles, and the structural institutions that are provided[by whom?] to sustain them. Social work applies social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science, public health, community development, law, and economics, to engage with client systems, conduct assessments, and develop interventions to solve social and personal problems; and to bring about social change. Social work practice is often divided[by whom?] into micro-work, which involves working directly with individuals or small groups; and macro-work, which involves working with communities, and - within social policy - fostering change on a larger scale.
  • Programming (Mentioned in 1.6% Job Postings): Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 5.8%
Social Work 4.69%
Programming 1.6%
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 Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor's salary.
  • Interviewing: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Care Management: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Psychiatric: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Interviewing
$70,568
5%
Care Management
$70,568
5%
Psychiatric
$69,896
4%
Integrity
$69,896
4%
Written Communication
$69,224
3%
Coaching
$69,224
3%
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How Education impacts a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Licensed Substance Abuse Counselors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor with a Bachelor's Degree is between $55,409 and $59,395).

Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 11.1%
Associates 15.4%
Bachelors 30.7%
Masters 41.2%
Doctorate 1.2%
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Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor'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

Salary Trends for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor

Salaries for a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $86,772 in 2023 to around $85,525 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$86,772
2024
$86,432
2025
$85,525
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $86,772
2024 $86,432
2025 $85,525
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor

Here are companies hiring for Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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