Quick answer: The San Francisco metro employs about 9,520 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Counselors are licensed by state boards, and both the licence title and the required supervised post-graduate hours differ from state to state. The national reference points are CACREP accreditation of the graduate program and the National Counselor Examination administered by NBCC. Substance use disorder counseling is usually a separate state credential tier that can be reached earlier than full clinical licensure.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 249 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in the San Francisco area earn a median $68,400 per year, above the national median of $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | San Francisco metro | California | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $68,400 | $59,250 | $59,350 |
| 10th percentile | $48,050 | $44,640 | $38,940 |
| 25th percentile | $55,190 | $47,640 | $47,100 |
| 75th percentile | $107,320 | $80,570 | $76,530 |
| 90th percentile | $132,510 | $111,080 | $97,590 |
| Employment | 9,520 | 75,610 | 491,930 |
| Location quotient | 1.27 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan statistical area.
The San Francisco median of $68,400 is above the national median of $59,350, and above the California statewide median of $59,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.27 means substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Counseling demand follows local treatment providers, hospital systems, schools and community health organizations.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $51,910 | 26,960 |
| Riverside | $57,880 | 6,980 |
| San Diego | $57,660 | 6,500 |
| Sacramento | $61,050 | 4,360 |
| San Jose | $72,550 | 2,550 |
| Fresno | $59,790 | 2,150 |
| Bakersfield | $59,620 | 1,730 |
| Modesto | $62,700 | 1,390 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $68,400, above the national median of $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area employs about 9,520 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Counselors are licensed by state boards, and both the licence title and the required supervised post-graduate hours differ from state to state. The national reference points are CACREP accreditation of the graduate program and the National Counselor Examination administered by NBCC. Substance use disorder counseling is usually a separate state credential tier that can be reached earlier than full clinical licensure. Confirm current requirements with your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
The San Francisco metro median is $68,400 against a statewide median of $59,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
