# Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

US SOC code 21-1023. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/21-1023

Also called: Mental health social worker, Substance abuse social worker, Clinical social worker, Licensed clinical social worker, LCSW.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **132,810** US mental health and substance abuse social workers, with median pay of **$60,280** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.thegisw.org/copy-of-social-casework) of **8,000** from 1920, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for mental health and substance abuse social workers: Mobile and telehealth platforms, 2010 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=21-1023&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **35.4%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1898
- Latest US employment: 132,810 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $60,280 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: +10.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [19]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1920 | 8,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Social Work History Station [1] |
| 1946 | 25,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Social Welfare History Project [2] |
| 1970 | n/a | $8,500 (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [5] |
| 1990 | 80,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Careers in Social Work [3] |
| 2003 | 96,990 | $33,020 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 108,950 | $33,920 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 120,140 | $34,410 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 114,820 | $35,410 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 118,690 | $36,640 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 131,010 | $37,210 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 127,140 | $38,200 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 119,960 | $38,600 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 115,390 | $39,230 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 109,920 | $39,980 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 110,010 | $40,970 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 109,460 | $41,380 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 110,070 | $42,170 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 114,040 | $42,700 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 112,040 | $43,250 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 116,750 | $44,840 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 117,770 | $46,650 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 116,780 | $48,720 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 113,810 | $49,130 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 107,940 | $51,240 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 114,680 | $55,960 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 125,910 | $60,060 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 132,810 | $60,280 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (90)

### Employment series

1. [Social Work History Station — Psychiatric Social Work (child guidance clinics 1921; 100+ programs by 1927)](https://www.thegisw.org/copy-of-social-casework), Group for the Improvement of Social Work
2. [Social Welfare History Project — "World War II and the Social Work Profession: The Veterans Administration Response to Crisis"](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/social-work/world-war-ii-and-the-social-work-profession-the-veterans-administration-response-to-crisis/), Virginia Commonwealth University Social Welfare History Project
3. [BLS Careers in Social Work — Career Outlook 2018 (historical workforce context and specialization breakdown)](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2018/article/social-workers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [University of Missouri Libraries — "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1970-1979" (BLS area wage surveys, professional workers)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1970-1979), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
7. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

8. [Mary Richmond — Wikipedia (Social Diagnosis 1917; case record as the professional instrument of social casework)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Richmond), Wikipedia
9. [Social Welfare History Project — Richmond, Mary (1861-1928): architect of social diagnosis and the professional case record)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/social-work/richmond-mary/), Virginia Commonwealth University Social Welfare History Project
10. [NIMH History — National Institute of Mental Health (founding 1949 under the National Mental Health Act of 1946; role in clinical standard-setting)](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/nimh-history), National Institute of Mental Health
11. [PMC — Deinstitutionalization Through Optimism: The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 (CMHC reporting requirements and workforce restructuring)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10116376/), American Journal of Psychiatry Residents' Journal / PubMed Central
12. [History of Social Work in America: Complete Timeline (administrative modernization and early computing in social work agencies)](https://www.socialworkdegrees.org/the-history-of-social-work), SocialWorkDegrees.org
13. [BLS Careers in Social Work (Career Outlook 2018) — technology and documentation trends in behavioral health social work](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2018/article/social-workers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
14. [SAMHSA TIP 63 — Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (2021): MAT coordination documentation requirements including EHR integration in opioid treatment programs](https://library.samhsa.gov/product/tip-63-medications-opioid-use-disorder/pep21-02-01-002), SAMHSA
15. [DynamiCare Health — FDA Breakthrough Device authorized AI contingency management platform; NIDA-funded RCT 2023: improved 30-day abstinence and treatment retention](https://www.dynamicarehealth.com/), DynamiCare Health
16. [Eleos Health — AI ambient clinical documentation for behavioral health; 150+ organizations including Acadia Healthcare; 30-60 min/day recouped; HIPAA compliant; SOC 2 Type II](https://eleos.health/), Eleos Health
17. [NASW — "AI and Social Work Practice" position statement (2025): AI supports efficiency but cannot substitute for clinical judgment, advocacy, or the therapeutic relationship](https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Technology/NASW-AI-Social-Work-2025), National Association of Social Workers
18. [ASAM CONTINUUM — six-dimension level-of-care placement tool; deployed as required instrument by state behavioral health authorities in AZ, FL, ME; reduces assessment documentation from 45+ to ~15 minutes](https://www.asam.org/asam-criteria/asam-criteria-software/asam-continuum), American Society of Addiction Medicine

### Forecasts and exposure studies

19. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 21-1023 Mental health and substance abuse social workers (2025: 138.9 thousand; 2035: 153.2 thousand; +10.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=21-1023&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 21-1023.00, human-rated β 0.354)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

21. [Clifford Whittingham Beers — Britannica biography (mental hygiene movement founder, 1908 autobiography)](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clifford-Whittingham-Beers), Encyclopaedia Britannica
22. [Social Work History Station — Psychiatric Social Work (child guidance clinic model, Commonwealth Fund demonstrations 1921-1927)](https://www.thegisw.org/copy-of-social-casework), Group for the Improvement of Social Work
23. [National Mental Health Act — Wikipedia (1946; goals: research, personnel training, state grants; NIMH establishment)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mental_Health_Act), Wikipedia
24. [Community Mental Health Act — Wikipedia (1963; Kennedy's final legislation; CMHC authorization and deinstitutionalization trajectory)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Mental_Health_Act), Wikipedia
25. [ASWB — Historic workforce study reveals new information about the social work profession (licensure history and workforce composition)](https://www.aswb.org/historic-workforce-study/), Association of Social Work Boards
26. [BLS TED — "Strong growth projected in mental health-related employment" (2024; MHPAEA and ACA as demand drivers for behavioral health workforce)](https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/strong-growth-projected-in-mental-health-related-employment.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
27. [NASW — "AI and Social Work Practice" position statement (2025): AI supports efficiency but cannot substitute for clinical judgment or the therapeutic relationship](https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Technology/NASW-AI-Social-Work-2025), National Association of Social Workers

### Predecessors & successors

28. [University of Michigan School of Social Work — "From Charitable Volunteers to Architects of Social Welfare: A Brief History of Social Work"](https://ssw.umich.edu/about/history/brief-history-of-social-work), University of Michigan School of Social Work
29. [PMC — Deinstitutionalization Through Optimism: The Community Mental Health Act of 1963](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10116376/), American Journal of Psychiatry Residents' Journal / PubMed Central
30. [O\*NET 21-1023.00 — pivot codes and adjacent occupations for mental health and SUD social workers](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1023.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (21-1023.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge domains, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1023.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS OOH 2024-2034 — Social Workers: 193,440 employed; +11% growth 2024-2034; median annual wage $57,800; highest employment in state/local government and outpatient care centers](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [NASW — "AI and Social Work Practice" position statement (2025): AI supports efficiency but cannot substitute for clinical judgment, advocacy, or therapeutic relationship; NASW Code of Ethics Section 1.01](https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Technology/NASW-AI-Social-Work-2025), accessed 2026-05-23
- [SAMHSA — Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: treatment uses medications (buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone) in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies; MAT coordination is a primary social worker task; ASAM Criteria assessment, MAT triad psychosocial support](https://www.samhsa.gov/medications-substance-use-disorders), accessed 2026-06-21
- [SAMHSA 2023 NSDUH Annual National Report — treatment utilization for mental health and substance use disorders in the U.S.; social workers account for a large share of behavioral health providers; workforce shortage most acute in SUD treatment settings](https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Eleos Health — AI ambient clinical documentation for behavioral health; 150+ organizations including Acadia Healthcare; 30-60 min/day recouped; HIPAA compliant; SOC 2 Type II](https://eleos.health/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [DynamiCare Health — FDA Breakthrough Device authorized AI contingency management platform; NIDA-funded RCT 2023: improved 30-day abstinence and treatment retention for opioid/stimulant/alcohol use disorders](https://www.dynamicarehealth.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Behaivior AI — ML relapse prediction using passive smartphone sensor data; pilot study: relapse events predicted 48-72 hours in advance (Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 2024)](https://www.behaivior.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Casebook PBC — AI-enhanced case management platform for social workers; auto-populated case notes, caseload analytics, risk flags, referral-matching; HIPAA compliant (Social Work Today, Feb 2025)](https://www.casebook.net/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ASAM CONTINUUM — digital ASAM Criteria six-dimension assessment tool; automated level-of-care placement recommendations; deployed as required instrument by state behavioral health authorities in AZ, FL, ME (2024)](https://www.asam.org/asam-criteria/asam-criteria-software/asam-continuum), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Pelago (formerly Quit Genius) — AI-guided digital therapeutic for opioid, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders; MAT adherence tracking; deployed by employers and health plans as first-access SUD resource](https://www.pelagohealth.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [NEJM AI — "Large Language Models in Mental Health Care" (Mar 2025): LLM suicide risk predictions have failed benchmark evaluations; clinical risk assessment requires licensed human judgment](https://ai.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/AIra2400480), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; social workers rated low β-exposure due to face-to-face clinical, court liaison, and community systems navigation tasks](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment — "Digital Technologies in SUD Treatment: A Systematic Review" (2024): digital SUD tools require licensed clinician oversight; engagement highest with active co-management](https://www.jsatjournal.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Upheal — AI session notes for behavioral health clinicians; JMIR Mental Health pilot 2024; 5-10 hrs/week documentation savings; HIPAA compliant](https://www.upheal.io/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Limbic Access — NICE-approved AI triage chatbot; PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5, AUDIT-C pre-assessment; 40+ NHS Talking Therapies services; US deployments at Magellan Health (2025)](https://limbic.ai/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Spring Health Guide — AI care navigation connecting members to the right care; precise matching to appropriate providers and treatment levels including mental health and addiction care; 20 million+ covered lives](https://www.springhealth.com/what-we-do/guide), accessed 2026-06-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.