Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Salary
The median pay for a mental health and substance abuse social workers in Yakima, WA is $53,850/year ($25.89/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $56,358 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,374/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Yakima?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Yakima’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). 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 Yakima
Pay for mental health and substance abuse social workers in Yakima runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,374/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for mental health and substance abuse social workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mental health and substance abuse social workers in metros near Yakima, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $78K | $71K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $71K | $71K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $57K | $55K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $59K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Yakima, WA
Entry-level mental health and substance abuse social workers (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $43K 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)
Track mental health and substance abuse social workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a mental health and substance abuse social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Yakima?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,374/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for mental health and substance abuse social workers in Yakima?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mental health and substance abuse social workers typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,479/month. At HUD’s $1,374/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Yakima?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $54K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Yakima compare to the national average for mental health and substance abuse social workers?
Yakima pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do mental health and substance abuse social workers make in Yakima, WA?
The median is $53,850 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,310, and experienced mental health and substance abuse social workers can clear $84,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Yakima?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,776/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,374/month, which eats 36.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a mental health and substance abuse social workers salary go in Yakima?
Yakima has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (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 $56,358 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.