Licensed Clinical Social Workers vs Substance Abuse Counselors
Median pay is about $1k higher for Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Pay for Substance Abuse Counselors is not a BLS figure for that job alone; the table marks it. The usual entry education is master's plus license for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and bachelor's plus cert for Substance Abuse Counselors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Licensed Clinical Social Workers | Substance Abuse Counselors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $60,280 | $59,350 BLS, related |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $47,070 | $47,100 BLS, related |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $79,730 | $76,530 BLS, related |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +10% Growing fast | +18% Growing fast BLS, related |
| Openings a year | 12,500 | 50,500 BLS, related |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Master's plus license | Bachelor's plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.6 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 61st pct | 81st pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, monitoring, writing.
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035), except the figures marked in the table. Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.