SOC 21-1023 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers — Colorado
Colorado · 7 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Colorado comes to $65,620 a year, ahead of the national median of $60,280 by 8.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +9.7%
- Openings per year
- 13,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Colorado.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Colorado comes to $65,620 a year, ahead of the national median of $60,280 by 8.9%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $55,770 and $80,990. The lowest tenth earn under $47,100, while the highest tenth earn more than $95,950.
Employment stands at 1,640, or 0.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Colorado ranks 12th by median wage. Boulder leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $84,450. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 342nd of 738 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,100 | −21.9% |
| 25th | $55,770 | −7.5% |
| Median (50th) | $65,620 | +8.9% |
| 75th | $80,990 | +34.4% |
| 90th | $95,950 | +59.2% |
| Mean | $69,200 | +14.8% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Colorado
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder | $84,450 | 70 | |
| 2 | Grand Junction | $80,030 | 30 | |
| 3 | Denver | $70,920 | 900 | |
| 4 | Fort Collins | $68,020 | 110 | |
| 5 | Pueblo | $65,620 | 200 | |
| 6 | Colorado Springs | $63,860 | 140 | |
| 7 | Greeley | $49,510 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the national average, so the median of $65,620 buys what $63,647 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 5.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$65,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
103.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$63,647US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $65,620 a year, 8.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,100 to $95,950 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,640 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 12th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Boulder, at $84,450.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers in Colorado?
The median annual wage is $65,620, or $31.55 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $60,280, so pay in Colorado is 8.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Colorado earns more than $95,950 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,100 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Boulder, at $84,450 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,640 jobs in this occupation in Colorado. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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