Substance Abuse Therapist Salary in the United States

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

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Substance Abuse Therapist in the United States is $61,584 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $78,405
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,808 to $70,389
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $48,639
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View as table View as graph 25% $54,808 10% $48,639 90% $78,405 75% $70,389 $61,584 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Substance Abuse Therapist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $70,389 $5,866 $1,354 $34
Average $61,584 $5,132 $1,184 $30
25th Percentile $54,808 $4,567 $1,054 $26
Check out Substance Abuse Therapist Job Openings in the United States
Substance Abuse Clinician

Forward Health LLC - Columbus, OH

Substance Abuse Counselor

BayMark Health Services - Columbus, OH

Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Coordinator

Dynamic Systems Technology, Inc. - Columbus, OH

Primary Therapist Substance Use Treatment

Recreate Behavioral Health Network - Columbus, OH

Search More Substance Abuse Therapist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Substance Abuse Therapist Salaries

A Substance Abuse Therapist'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.

Top Paying Cities for Substance Abuse Therapists

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: $77,676
  • San Francisco: $76,825
  • Oakland: $75,206

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 6.54% 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.
  • Psychiatric (Mentioned in 2.04% Job Postings): Periodically and systematically assessing the client's dietary intake and nutritional status to ensure the effectiveness of nutrition intervention.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 6.54%
Psychiatric 2.04%
Acute Care 1.56%
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 Therapist's salary.
  • Managed Care: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Acute Care: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Managed Care
$67,127
9%
Leadership
$65,895
7%
Acute Care
$65,895
7%
Discharge Planning
$64,663
5%
Collaboration
$64,663
5%
Microsoft Office
$64,047
4%
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Substance Abuse Therapist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Substance Abuse Therapist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 15% above the average. Conversely, Substance Abuse Therapist positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Substance Abuse Therapist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Substance Abuse Therapist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$70,822$34.015%

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

Understanding how a Substance Abuse Therapist'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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Substance Abuse Therapist

Salaries for a Substance Abuse Therapist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $53,440 in 2023 to around $52,807 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Substance Abuse Therapist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Substance Abuse Therapist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$53,440
2024
$53,413
2025
$52,807
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $53,440
2024 $53,413
2025 $52,807
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Substance Abuse Therapist

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

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

Find Your Next Substance Abuse Therapist Job

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

United States
  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Emergency Medicine Physician Needed near Columbus, Ohio. An excellent opportunity for a full-time EM Physician to join an Emergency Department team near Co... more

    5 Days Ago

  • eviCore healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    eviCore healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Provides timely expert medical review for requests to evaluate the medical necessity of services that do not meet utilization review criteria while located... more

    5 Days Ago

  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Neurologist Locum Tenens Opportunity Near Columbus, OH. We are excited to offer a rewarding locum tenens opportunity for a Board Certified or Board Eligibl... more

    5 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full Bene... more

    11 Days Ago

  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    14 Days Ago

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FAQ about Substance Abuse Therapist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Substance Abuse Therapist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Substance Abuse Therapist roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

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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