SOC 21-1018 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — Florence
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL · 10 metro areas compared
At $44,250, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, 25.4% beneath the national figure of $59,350.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL.
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
At $44,250, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, 25.4% beneath the national figure of $59,350. Pay ranges from under $36,050 at the tenth percentile to more than $75,570 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $37,820 to $60,040.
The area has 90 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.52 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Birmingham records the highest median at $53,990. Of the 219 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 122nd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,050 | −39.3% |
| 25th | $37,820 | −36.3% |
| Median (50th) | $44,250 | −25.4% |
| 75th | $60,040 | +1.2% |
| 90th | $75,570 | +27.3% |
| Mean | $51,740 | −12.8% |
Other metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | $53,990 | — | |
| 2 | Daphne | $50,500 | 140 | |
| 3 | Tuscaloosa | $49,560 | 300 | |
| 4 | Decatur | $49,360 | 200 | |
| 5 | Dothan | $48,580 | 150 | |
| 6 | Huntsville | $48,530 | 400 | |
| 7 | Anniston | $46,690 | 100 | |
| 8 | Montgomery | $46,580 | 400 | |
| 9 | Auburn | $46,310 | 150 | |
| 10 | Mobile | $45,740 | 540 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Florence run 15.2% below the national average, so the median of $44,250 goes as far as $52,182 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 12.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$44,250as reported by BLSLocal price level
84.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$52,182US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $44,250 a year, 25.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,050 to $75,570 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 90 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Birmingham, at $53,990.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Florence, AL?
The median annual wage is $44,250, or $21.28 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 Florence, AL is 25.4% lower. 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 Florence, AL earns more than $75,570 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,050 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 Birmingham, at $53,990 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 90 jobs in this occupation in Florence, AL. 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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