2023 Salary Report for Substance Abuse Counselors in California

Salary Report for California Substance Abuse Counselors

California Rankings

Compare California to U.S.

California Substance Abuse Counselors earn an average of $59,790 which is 11% more than the national average salary of $53,490.

Type	California	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$28.74	$25.72	11.74%
Average Annual Salary	$59,790	$53,490	11.78%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In California, 50% of Substance Abuse Counselors earn between $40,320 and $70,640 a year, depending on factors such as level of education, experience, location and place of employment.

About 10% of Substance Abuse Counselors earn more than $98,560, a rate generally associated with highly educated and experienced Substance Abuse Counselors.

Approximately 10% of Substance Abuse Counselors earn under $36,750, a rate generally reserved for less experienced or entry level Substance Abuse Counselors.

Percent	Experience	Employed	Annual Salary
10%	Less than a Year	3,482	Under $36,750
15%	2 – 4 years	5,223	$36,750 – $40,320
25%	5 – 9 years	8,705	$40,320 – $49,630
25%	10 – 14 years	8,705	$49,630 – $70,640
15%	15 – 20 years	5,223	$49,630 – $98,560
10%	20+ years	3,482	Above $98,560

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Substance Abuse Counselors in California psychologists earn about $54,167 per year which is more than the average U.S. psychologist of $53,490.

Cost-of-living in California is 10% higher than the national average, which means California residents have an overall higher cost for food, housing, utilities and transportation compared to other states.

More cost-of-living reports for U.S. States.

Salary Compared to Related Professions

With an average annual salary of $59,790, California Substance Abuse Counselors tend to earn less than Industrial Organizational Psychologists ($123,090), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($122,790), Psychology Teachers ($114,950), Forensic Psychologists ($112,210), School Psychologists ($96,530), Health Care Social Workers ($84,690), and Social Workers ($64,940).

However, Substance Abuse Counselors tend to earn more than Marriage and Family Therapists ($59,320).

Title	Annual Salary
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	$123,090
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$122,790
Psychology Teachers	$114,950
Forensic Psychologists	$112,210
School Psychologists	$96,530
Health Care Social Workers	$84,690
Social Workers	$64,940
Substance Abuse Counselors	$59,790
Marriage and Family Therapists	$59,320

Projected Demand for Psychologists in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in California the three professions needing the most new psychologists by 2030 are Social Workers (51,800), Substance Abuse Counselors (43,500) and Marriage and Family Therapists (32,700).

The three professions in California needing highest percentage new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (17.3%), Health Care Social Workers (12.2%) and Marriage and Family Therapists (10.5%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Social Workers	47,200	51,800	9.7%	4,970
Substance Abuse Counselors	37,100	43,500	17.3%	4,330
Marriage and Family Therapists	29,600	32,700	10.5%	3,170
Health Care Social Workers	13,100	14,700	12.2%	1,440
Forensic Psychologists	5,500	5,500	0%	360
Psychology Teachers	3,900	4,200	7.7%	410
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	1,800	1,900	5.6%	120

Salaries Ranked by California Cities

The average salary for Substance Abuse Counselors in California is $59,790. The top cities that pay Substance Abuse Counselors the most are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($74,560), Napa ($65,860) and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward ($65,370).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Substance Abuse Counselors the highest average annual salary are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($66,500), El Centro ($62,781) and Bakersfield ($60,526).

The following table shows the average yearly salary range for Substance Abuse Counselors in each city, and the average yearly salary after being adjusted for cost-of-living in that state.

The difference column shows how much more or less purchasing power a Substance Abuse Counselors salary will have in that area.

Area	Average Salary	COL Adjusted	Difference
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$74,560	$66,500	$-8,060
Napa	$65,860	$59,104	$-6,756
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward	$65,370	$55,696	$-9,674
Modesto	$61,640	$60,014	$-1,626
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade	$60,960	$57,455	$-3,505
Vallejo-Fairfield	$60,320	$55,635	$-4,685
Santa Rosa	$60,110	$54,725	$-5,385
Bakersfield	$60,030	$60,526	$496
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$59,610	$53,276	$-6,334
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$58,870	$56,764	$-2,106
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$58,650	$52,648	$-6,002
El Centro	$58,650	$62,781	$4,131
Yuba City	$58,420	$58,714	$294
Stockton-Lodi	$56,640	$54,566	$-2,074
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California	$56,490	$56,530	$40
Hanford-Corcoran	$55,960	$58,243	$2,283
Salinas	$55,500	$50,113	$-5,387
Merced	$55,280	$55,748	$468
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$54,550	$49,582	$-4,968
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$54,150	$49,488	$-4,662
Fresno	$53,780	$53,866	$86
North Coast Region of California	$53,470	$53,507	$37
San Diego-Carlsbad	$53,090	$46,821	$-6,269
Chico	$52,230	$51,468	$-762
Visalia-Porterville	$51,750	$53,039	$1,289
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande	$51,300	$46,836	$-4,464
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California	$50,950	$50,986	$36
Redding	$45,470	$45,511	$41

Salary FAQ for California Substance Abuse Counselors

City and Rural Summaries

Official Data Sources for Substance Abuse Counselors: Salary Data | Projected Employment | Cost of Living Data