2023 Salary Report for Substance Abuse Counselors in Virginia

Salary Report for Virginia Substance Abuse Counselors

Virginia Rankings

Compare Virginia to U.S.

Virginia Substance Abuse Counselors earn an average of $53,210 which is 0% less than the national average salary of $53,490.

Type	Virginia	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$25.58	$25.72	-0.54%
Average Annual Salary	$53,210	$53,490	-0.52%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In Virginia, 50% of Substance Abuse Counselors earn between $39,380 and $60,450 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 $76,670, 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	1,265	Under $36,750
15%	2 – 4 years	1,898	$36,750 – $39,380
25%	5 – 9 years	3,162	$39,380 – $48,820
25%	10 – 14 years	3,162	$48,820 – $60,450
15%	15 – 20 years	1,898	$48,820 – $76,670
10%	20+ years	1,265	Above $76,670

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Substance Abuse Counselors in Virginia psychologists earn about $52,694 per year which is more than the average U.S. psychologist of $53,490.

Cost-of-living in Virginia is 1% higher than the national average, which means Virginia 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 $53,210, Virginia Substance Abuse Counselors tend to earn less than Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($108,910), Industrial Organizational Psychologists ($108,700), Forensic Psychologists ($104,670), School Psychologists ($88,890), Psychology Teachers ($83,580), Social Workers ($58,100), Health Care Social Workers ($57,420), and Marriage and Family Therapists ($53,550).

Title	Annual Salary
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$108,910
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	$108,700
Forensic Psychologists	$104,670
School Psychologists	$88,890
Psychology Teachers	$83,580
Social Workers	$58,100
Health Care Social Workers	$57,420
Marriage and Family Therapists	$53,550
Substance Abuse Counselors	$53,210

Projected Demand for Psychologists in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in Virginia the three professions needing the most new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (16,930), Social Workers (9,860) and Health Care Social Workers (3,980).

The three professions in Virginia needing highest percentage new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (19.5%), Psychology Teachers (14.2%) and Marriage and Family Therapists (13.9%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Substance Abuse Counselors	14,170	16,930	19.5%	1,700
Social Workers	8,780	9,860	12.3%	960
Health Care Social Workers	3,500	3,980	13.7%	390
Forensic Psychologists	1,640	1,670	1.8%	110
Psychology Teachers	1,200	1,370	14.2%	130
Marriage and Family Therapists	720	820	13.9%	80
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	560	490	-12.5%	30

Salaries Ranked by Virginia Cities

The average salary for Substance Abuse Counselors in Virginia is $53,210. The top cities that pay Substance Abuse Counselors the most are Staunton-Waynesboro ($53,130), Richmond ($52,660) and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News ($51,470).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Substance Abuse Counselors the highest average annual salary are Staunton-Waynesboro ($59,158), Southside Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area ($57,979) and Richmond ($55,176).

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
Staunton-Waynesboro	$53,130	$59,158	$6,028
Richmond	$52,660	$55,176	$2,516
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News	$51,470	$53,514	$2,044
Charlottesville	$51,430	$53,224	$1,794
Harrisonburg	$50,700	$54,242	$3,542
Southside Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$50,100	$57,979	$7,879
Winchester	$49,720	$52,967	$3,247
Lynchburg	$47,910	$53,411	$5,501
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford	$47,650	$52,088	$4,438
Roanoke	$47,270	$51,837	$4,567
Southwest Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$47,230	$54,658	$7,428
Northeast Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$46,070	$53,316	$7,246
Northwest Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$45,500	$52,656	$7,156

Salary FAQ for Virginia Substance Abuse Counselors

City and Rural Summaries

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