Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors pay in California
$69,080avg. a year
$33.21 an hour · 75,610 employed
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in California earn an average of $69,080 a year. That is $4,640 (7%) more than the U.S. average of $64,440. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $82,100.
$59,250Median pay
$33.21Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
#11Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
19,520 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$82,100
$39.47 an hour
2350 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$79,630
$38.28 an hour
32,550 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$78,710
$37.84 an hour
4670 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$78,600
$37.79 an hour
51,260 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$77,970
$37.48 an hour
6870 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$76,770
$36.91 an hour
74,360 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$73,840
$35.50 an hour
8620 jobs
Salinas, CA
$73,390
$35.28 an hour
91,390 jobs
Modesto, CA
$72,430
$34.82 an hour
10220 jobs
El Centro, CA
$72,420
$34.82 an hour
11860 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$72,240
$34.73 an hour
12240 jobs
Napa, CA
$70,680
$33.98 an hour
13710 jobs
Visalia, CA
$70,500
$33.89 an hour
141,330 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$70,310
$33.81 an hour
15190 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$70,230
$33.76 an hour
16270 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$68,570
$32.97 an hour
172,150 jobs
Fresno, CA
$67,460
$32.43 an hour
186,500 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$67,230
$32.32 an hour
19420 jobs
Merced, CA
$66,760
$32.09 an hour
20530 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$66,700
$32.07 an hour
216,980 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$65,990
$31.73 an hour
221,730 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$65,100
$31.30 an hour
23350 jobs
Redding, CA
$63,940
$30.74 an hour
2426,960 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$63,450
$30.51 an hour
25380 jobs
Chico, CA
$62,560
$30.08 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $59k$59k–$64k$64k–$69k$69k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $64,440 | $30.98 |
| California | $69,080 | $33.21 |
| Oregon | $75,540 | $36.32 |
| Arizona | $68,120 | $32.75 |
| Nevada | $64,350 | $30.94 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in California?
The average is $69,080 a year, and the median is $59,250. That is $4,640 (7%) more than the U.S. average of $64,440.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$33.21 an hour on average; the median is $28.48.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($82,100), followed by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA ($79,630). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Chico, CA ($62,560).
How does California rank?
California ranks #11 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 21-1018. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.