Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker salary
From 209 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 21-1023: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- Also filed as: Master Social Worker
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 47% of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: OMNI Health Services. 19 filings (9% of the total), median $50,000.
- Median up 30% since FY2020. From $49,500 in FY2020 to $64,574 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 209 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 21-1023, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers). The median base salary is $62,400, 49% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $53,394 and $80,000. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 47% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (60), and OMNI Health Services is the employer that files the most (19).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
Employers with the most Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker filings. Bar: share of all Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 47% of filings
Mid-level · 32% of filings
Senior · 12% of filings
Expert · 9% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $55,186 | 92 |
| Level II · Qualified | $64,484 | 62 |
| Level III · Experienced | $82,430 | 24 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $104,000 | 17 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 5 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $60,000 | 60 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 19 |
| Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 17 |
| Boston, MA | $81,975 | 14 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $64,480 | 11 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker does
Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.
Typical tasks
- Counsel clients in individual or group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse.
- Collaborate with counselors, physicians, or nurses to plan or coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals.
- Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, or confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of clients or patients.
- Supervise or direct other workers who provide services to clients or patients.
- Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (21-1023.00). This section includes information from the 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.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers), the median annual wage was $60,280 in May 2025, with 132,810 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $62,400, 4% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,000 | $39,740 |
| 25th percentile | $53,394 | $47,070 |
| Median | $62,400 | $60,280 |
| 75th percentile | $80,000 | $79,730 |
| 90th percentile | $98,238 | $104,170 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $50,000 |
| 25th | $53,394 |
| 50th (median) | $62,400 |
| 75th | $80,000 |
| 90th | $98,238 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $49,500 | $45,000 | $57,000 | 93 |
| FY2021 | $55,000 | $47,000 | $59,120 | 107 |
| FY2022 | $55,000 | $48,000 | $65,030 | 112 |
| FY2023 | $56,080 | $49,940 | $69,252 | 114 |
| FY2024 | $60,000 | $52,963 | $70,720 | 112 |
| FY2025 | $60,000 | $52,000 | $75,000 | 137 |
| FY2026 | $64,574 | $57,533 | $82,408 | 72 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker jobs is $62,400 (209 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $53,394 and $80,000.
What does an entry-level Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $55,186. Level I accounts for 47% of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers?
OMNI Health Services (19), The Child Center of NY (13) and Hamilton-Madison House (10) filed the most Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($62,400) is 4% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($60,280, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.