Quick answer:Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Kentucky earn a median $54,190 per year, below the national median of $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 7,690 of them. Licensing runs through your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
Counseling Pay and Employment in Kentucky at a Glance
Metric
Kentucky
National
Source
Median annual wage
$54,190
$59,350
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$35,150
$38,940
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$41,730
$47,100
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$72,590
$76,530
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$83,070
$97,590
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
7,690
491,930
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.22
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
16.8%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Kentucky Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Kentucky median of $54,190 sits below the national median of $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.22 puts Kentucky well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Counseling demand follows local treatment providers, hospital systems, schools and community health organizations.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Wages by Metro Area in Kentucky
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors wages in Kentucky vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Cincinnati
3,460
$58,520
$59,400
$39,000
$81,810
Louisville/Jefferson County
2,870
$50,970
$58,480
$37,530
$87,360
Lexington-Fayette
970
$58,190
$60,820
$37,070
$88,830
Huntington-Ashland
860
$52,000
$53,930
$37,770
$74,590
Clarksville
590
$43,970
$49,440
$26,530
$75,780
Bowling Green
370
$57,720
$59,520
$33,330
$95,710
Elizabethtown
260
$58,720
$61,040
$37,070
$89,590
Owensboro
220
$51,770
$57,170
$36,700
$81,670
Paducah
140
$58,240
$56,810
$33,680
$79,780
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Counselors are licensed by state boards, and both the license 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.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
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.
How We Rank Schools
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
How much do substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make in Kentucky?
The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Kentucky is $54,190, below the national median of $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $41,730 at the 25th percentile to $72,590 at the 75th.
How many substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors work in Kentucky?
Kentucky holds about 7,690 counselor jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 491,930, and BLS projects about 48,300 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a counselor in Kentucky?
Counselors are licensed by state boards, and both the license 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. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a counseling degree online while working in Kentucky?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state counseling or behavioral health licensing board.
What is the highest-paying area of Kentucky for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
Among Kentucky metro areas with published data, Elizabethtown reports the highest median at $58,720 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Kentucky a good state for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors?
On pay, the state median of $54,190 sits below the national $59,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.22 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (SOC 21-1018), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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.
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/.
