Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Philadelphia, PA (2024)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median of $59,990 per year ($28.84 per hour) based on 12,860 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +1.4% against the national median of $59,190 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors actually sit across the pay range in Philadelphia, PA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.00 | $39,520 | |
| 25th percentile | $23.37 | $48,610 | |
| Median | $28.84 | $59,990 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $36.88 | $76,700 | |
| 90th percentile | $46.04 | $95,770 | |
| Average (mean) | $31.34 | $65,190 |
How Philadelphia, PA compares
The local median of $59,990 runs +1.4% above the US median of $59,190 for this occupation; it pays 15.9% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,760); within the metro it ranks 369th of 710 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA — this occupation | $59,990 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $59,190 | +1.4% |
| Philadelphia, PA — all occupations | $51,760 | +15.9% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $72,950 | -17.8% |
At a location quotient of 1.57, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 157% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.4%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 369th of 710 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia, PA
To put $59,990 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 369th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $236,740 | 600 |
| Pediatricians, General | $220,310 | 1,190 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $215,060 | 100 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $202,290 | 110 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $200,150 | 220 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $181,200 | 190 |
| Physicians, All Other | $179,220 | 8,290 |
| Dentists, General | $174,220 | 2,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $172,710 | 3,230 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $170,330 | 12,820 |
Where substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $50,690 to $72,950. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,950 | 8,080 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $71,530 | 3,640 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $65,290 | 7,040 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $64,900 | 23,790 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $64,140 | 4,230 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $63,990 | 6,830 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,170 | 7,590 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $62,440 | 2,600 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,150 | 14,010 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $60,860 | 5,170 |
See the full national picture on the Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $59,990, or $29 per hour. That means half of the substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors working in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $65,190.
What do the highest and lowest paid substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Philadelphia, PA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $39,520 or less, while the top 10% earn $95,770 or more — a spread of $56,250 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $48,610 and $76,700.
Is substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors pay in Philadelphia, PA above the local average?
Yes, it is 15.9% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,760. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Philadelphia, PA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $59,990 the metro median is 1.4% higher than the US median of $59,190 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $50,690 to $72,950.
How many substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work in Philadelphia, PA?
BLS counts about 12,860 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.48 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.57, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 157% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.