SalaryExplorer

SOC 21-1018 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — Eugene

Eugene-Springfield, OR · 7 metro areas compared

$65,220 /year
$31.36per hour
1,040jobs in area
+9.9%vs US median

In Eugene, OR the median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is $65,220 a year, which is 9.9% higher than the national figure of $59,350.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $59,35010TH$47,07025TH$56,360MEDIAN$65,22075TH$78,86090TH$99,330

How pay has moved

$70,655$38,0452019202020212022202320242025$65,220
$43,480 in 2019 to $65,220 in 2025, +50% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow much faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+16.8%
Openings per year
48,300
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.

5.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Eugene-Springfield, OR.

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

In Eugene, OR the median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors is $65,220 a year, which is 9.9% higher than the national figure of $59,350. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $56,360 and $78,860. The lowest tenth earn under $47,070, while the highest tenth earn more than $99,330.

The area has 1,040 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 2.08 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Albany records the highest median at $78,910. Of the 434 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 177th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Eugene-Springfield, OR · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$47,070−20.7%
25th$56,360−5.0%
Median (50th)$65,220+9.9%
75th$78,860+32.9%
90th$99,330+67.4%
Mean$70,590+18.9%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Oregon

Median annual wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Albany$78,910110
2Salem$78,870560
3Corvallis$75,700170
4Bend$75,470590
5Portland$75,4204,640
6Grants Pass$73,550140
7Medford$68,990340

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Eugene sit close to the national average, so $65,220 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$65,220as reported by BLS

Local price level

101.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$64,193US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $65,220 a year, 9.9% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $47,070 to $99,330 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 1,040 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Albany, at $78,910.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Eugene, OR?

The median annual wage is $65,220, or $31.36 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 $59,350, so pay in Eugene, OR is 9.9% 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 Eugene, OR earns more than $99,330 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $47,070 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 Albany, at $78,910 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 1,040 jobs in this occupation in Eugene, OR. 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.

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Salary in Eugene, OR (2025): $65,220 Median | Salary Explorer