Insights / Behavioral health pay versus the U.S. median / Washington
Behavioral health pay in Washington
Washington marriage and family therapists are under the country. The counselor premium does not cover them.
The behavioral approval said Washington pays above the country, and the only license that does not was the one on the req.
Marriage and family therapists earn $60,000 against $66,940 nationally, 0.90 times the country.
Employment for that row is unpublished.
You cannot talk about a deep bench, and you cannot talk about a premium.
Counselors, 14,250 jobs, earn $68,910 against $59,350, 1.16 times the country.
Social workers in healthcare earn $78,570 against $67,880, also 1.16 times the country, with 5,180 employed.
Same step, different dollar, different license.
The therapist letter has to be written from the therapist row or it will overpay a market that is under the country.
Each occupation
1Healthcare Social Workers
- State median
- $78,570
- 75th percentile
- $98,990
- U.S. median
- $67,880
- State vs U.S.
- 1.16
- State employment
- 5,180
2Health Education Specialists
- State median
- $77,420
- 75th percentile
- $84,600
- U.S. median
- $64,070
- State vs U.S.
- 1.21
- State employment
- 1,750
3Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- State median
- $70,460
- 75th percentile
- $84,500
- U.S. median
- $60,280
- State vs U.S.
- 1.17
- State employment
- 3,490
4Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- State median
- $68,910
- 75th percentile
- $90,970
- U.S. median
- $59,350
- State vs U.S.
- 1.16
- State employment
- 14,250
5Marriage and Family Therapists
- State median
- $60,000
- 75th percentile
- $69,040
- U.S. median
- $66,940
- State vs U.S.
- 0.90
- State employment
- unpublished
6Community Health Workers
- State median
- $57,070
- 75th percentile
- $67,470
- U.S. median
- $51,850
- State vs U.S.
- 1.10
- State employment
- 2,640
7Psychiatric Technicians
- State median
- $52,470
- 75th percentile
- $61,990
- U.S. median
- $45,130
- State vs U.S.
- 1.16
- State employment
- 1,920
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Occupation | State median | 75th percentile | U.S. median | State vs U.S. | State employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healthcare Social Workers | $78,570 | $98,990 | $67,880 | 1.16 | 5,180 |
| 2 | Health Education Specialists | $77,420 | $84,600 | $64,070 | 1.21 | 1,750 |
| 3 | Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $70,460 | $84,500 | $60,280 | 1.17 | 3,490 |
| 4 | Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $68,910 | $90,970 | $59,350 | 1.16 | 14,250 |
| 5 | Marriage and Family Therapists | $60,000 | $69,040 | $66,940 | 0.90 | unpublished |
| 6 | Community Health Workers | $57,070 | $67,470 | $51,850 | 1.10 | 2,640 |
| 7 | Psychiatric Technicians | $52,470 | $61,990 | $45,130 | 1.16 | 1,920 |
Takeaways
- Health education specialists earn $77,420 against $64,070, 1.21 times the country, with 1,750 employed.
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers earn $70,460 with 3,490 employed. Psychiatric technicians earn $52,470 against $45,130, with 1,920 employed.
- Community health workers earn $57,070 against $51,850, 1.10 times the country, with 2,640 employed.
- Washington is 8 of 51 on the social-worker sort. That rank does not describe the therapist row.
For recruiters
- Read the therapist comparison before you reuse the counselor sentence.
- Where the employment cell is unpublished, leave the headcount blank rather than borrowing the counselor count.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Occupations are the fixed set named in the series, kept only when both the Washington median and the U.S. median are published. A 75th percentile or an employment count that is unpublished stays blank in the table. The article is omitted when fewer than 4 occupations qualify. OEWS May 2025. A comparison of 1.00 matches the U.S. median. Sorted by the Healthcare Social Workers state median when that occupation qualifies, otherwise by the highest median in the table. Washington is 8 of 51. A row links to the Washington metro page with the highest public market difficulty score for that occupation when one is published, and otherwise to the occupation page on the hiring grid. An unpublished percentile or employment count is shown as unpublished rather than replaced with a zero. The wages are annual OEWS figures. They are not job listings and they are not an employer's current offer. Read the comparison beside the dollar figures: a high state wage can still sit under the national median for that occupation, and a lower state wage can still sit above it. Rounded figures in the prose: $78,570 is stated as about $78.6K. $67,880 is stated as about $67.9K. a comparison of 1.16 is stated as 16 percent. $98,990 is stated as about $99.0K. $52,470 is stated as about $52.5K. $45,130 is stated as about $45.1K. Rounded figures in the prose: a comparison of 1.10 is stated as 10 percent. $60,000 is stated as about $60.0K. a comparison of 1.21 is stated as 21 percent.
Sources
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