SOC 21-1018 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — Spartanburg
Spartanburg, SC · 7 metro areas compared
At $43,810, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, 26.2% 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 Spartanburg, SC.
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 $43,810, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, 26.2% beneath the national figure of $59,350. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $35,540 and $53,710. The lowest tenth earn under $35,540, while the highest tenth earn more than $68,360.
Employment stands at 550, or 3.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Columbia leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $58,920. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 254th of 353 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,540 | −40.1% |
| 25th | $35,540 | −40.1% |
| Median (50th) | $43,810 | −26.2% |
| 75th | $53,710 | −9.5% |
| 90th | $68,360 | +15.2% |
| Mean | $46,870 | −21.0% |
Other metro areas in South Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia | $58,920 | 1,260 | |
| 2 | Myrtle Beach | $56,780 | 300 | |
| 3 | Florence | $55,340 | 200 | |
| 4 | Greenville | $54,760 | 1,070 | |
| 5 | Charleston | $53,260 | 890 | |
| 6 | Hilton Head Island | $49,630 | 200 | |
| 7 | Sumter | $49,030 | 120 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Spartanburg run 8.9% below the national average, so the median of $43,810 goes as far as $48,090 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 19.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$43,810as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$48,090US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $43,810 a year, 26.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $35,540 to $68,360 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 550 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Columbia, at $58,920.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Spartanburg, SC?
The median annual wage is $43,810, or $21.06 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 Spartanburg, SC is 26.2% 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 Spartanburg, SC earns more than $68,360 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $35,540 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 Columbia, at $58,920 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 550 jobs in this occupation in Spartanburg, SC. 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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