DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 744 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 125,910 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsView all companies hiring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $55,000 | +22.2% | 56 | 27 |
| New York, NE | $55,000 | +22.2% | 24 | 13 |
| BROOKLYN, NE | $48,000 | +6.7% | 55 | 10 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $45,000 | 0% | 21 | 7 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $42,655 | -5.2% | 10 | 6 |
| Seattle, WA | $39,406 | -12.4% | 18 | 4 |
| Chicago, IL | $39,000 | -13.3% | 19 | 8 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $36,400 | -19.1% | 12 | 10 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $60,000 | +20.4% | 7 |
| Utah | $57,789 | N/A | 2 |
| Connecticut | $54,850 | -30.4% | 5 |
| Virginia | $53,400 | -16% | 3 |
| Nebraska | $50,800 | +12.6% | 90 |
| New York | $50,000 | -37.7% | 98 |
| Massachusetts | $45,791 | -29.5% | 50 |
| South Carolina | $45,500 | +9% | 2 |
| Minnesota | $44,581 | -42.2% | 2 |
| Arizona | $43,500 | -6.8% | 3 |
| New Mexico | $43,000 | -34.5% | 1 |
| California | $43,000 | -42.9% | 68 |
| Maryland | $42,784 | -30% | 5 |
| Ohio | $42,300 | -8.7% | 17 |
| Colorado | $41,000 | -37% | 3 |
| District of Columbia | $40,950 | -43.7% | 4 |
| North Dakota | $40,000 | -35.1% | 1 |
| Washington | $39,406 | -42.9% | 22 |
| Idaho | $39,062 | -23.3% | 2 |
| Illinois | $39,000 | -32.9% | 23 |
| Wyoming | $38,508 | -8.8% | 1 |
| Alabama | $38,091 | -9.5% | 2 |
| Michigan | $37,510 | -37.5% | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,502 | -24.4% | 19 |
| Mississippi | $37,500 | -23.2% | 1 |
| Missouri | $36,127 | -21.9% | 8 |
| Kansas | $36,000 | -35.8% | 1 |
| North Carolina | $34,892 | -38.5% | 2 |
| West Virginia | $32,791 | -31.5% | 1 |
| Oklahoma | $32,224 | -25.4% | 12 |
| Florida | $32,000 | -37.1% | 7 |
| Kentucky | $31,504 | -30.7% | 2 |
| Indiana | $30,811 | -43.4% | 4 |
| Georgia | $30,670 | -39.6% | 8 |
| Texas | $30,647 | -31.6% | 6 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers positions, 7% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 93% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| North Suffolk Mental Health Association, Inc. | Master's | $45,791 |
| CCMS | Not specified | $48,000 |
| Research Foundation of CUNY | Not specified | $55,000 |
| Community Counseling Mediation | Master's | $50,800 |
| COMMUNITY COUNSELING AND MEDIATION | Master's | $50,170 |
| Asian Counseling and Referral Service | Master's | $39,638 |
| Omni Health Services Inc. | Master's | $36,525 |
| Preferred Family Healthcare | Master's | $32,224 |
| ACMH, Inc. | Master's | $57,407 |
| Eliot Community Human Services, Inc. | Not specified | $40,804 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is Educational Services at $53,632. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Health Care and Social Assistance at $45,816.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 744 DOL filings, the median salary for a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers is $45,000, ranging from $37,000 to $54,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $104,130 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, New York, NY offers the highest median at $55,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
Are you a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers wondering if your salary is competitive?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.
Find Open Positions
Browse current openings and compare them against the government-filed salary data above.