Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Salary
The median pay for a mental health and substance abuse social workers in Madison, WI is $63,690/year ($30.62/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $89K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $65,464 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About mental health and substance abuse social workers
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What this looks like in Madison
Mental health and substance abuse social workers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mental health and substance abuse social workers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $63K | $65K |
| Wausau | $62K | $67K |
| Green Bay | $54K | $58K |
| Appleton | $62K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level mental health and substance abuse social workers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $89K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $79K | +32% | 14,820 |
| California | $79K | +31% | 19,860 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +30% | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $75K | +24% | 3,590 |
| Maryland | $74K | +22% | 2,250 |
| District of Columbia | $73K | +22% | 510 |
| Vermont | $73K | +21% | 320 |
| Washington | $70K | +17% | 3,490 |
| Oregon | $68K | +13% | 2,230 |
| New Jersey | $67K | +10% | 2,420 |
| New Mexico | $66K | +9% | 800 |
| Colorado | $66K | +9% | 1,640 |
| Virginia | $64K | +7% | 3,670 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +6% | 320 |
| Nevada | $63K | +4% | 1,100 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +4% | 7,440 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +3% | 1,880 |
| Rhode Island | $61K | +1% | 800 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +1% | 240 |
| Michigan | $61K | +1% | 4,620 |
| Delaware | $60K | -0% | 510 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -2% | 200 |
| Arkansas | $59K | -3% | 1,040 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -3% | 3,690 |
| Maine | $57K | -5% | 1,860 |
| Alaska | $57K | -6% | 250 |
| Kansas | $56K | -7% | 1,620 |
| Hawaii | $54K | -10% | N/A |
| Idaho | $53K | -13% | 510 |
| Georgia | $52K | -14% | 1,330 |
| Florida | $52K | -14% | 5,150 |
| Utah | $51K | -16% | 1,240 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -17% | 420 |
| Illinois | $50K | -17% | 3,460 |
| Missouri | $50K | -18% | 1,640 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -19% | 920 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 230 |
| Iowa | $49K | -19% | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $48K | -20% | 2,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -20% | 3,500 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -22% | 970 |
| Texas | $47K | -23% | 8,220 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -23% | 2,220 |
| Arizona | $46K | -23% | 3,690 |
| Ohio | $46K | -24% | 6,050 |
| Montana | $45K | -25% | 740 |
| Nebraska | $43K | -28% | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -28% | 1,780 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -29% | 1,360 |
| Alabama | $42K | -31% | 740 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -34% | 720 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a mental health and substance abuse social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mental health and substance abuse social workers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mental health and substance abuse social workers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,804/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is mental health and substance abuse social worker a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for mental health and substance abuse social workers?
Madison pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do mental health and substance abuse social workers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $63,690 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,740, and experienced mental health and substance abuse social workers can clear $88,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,239/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 27.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a mental health and substance abuse social workers salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median mental health and substance abuse social workers salary is worth about $65,464 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do mental health and substance abuse social workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.