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Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 18.4% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
- Rank
- #274 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +18.4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $59,350 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 533,400 in the US, with about 50,500 openings a year
The work, 29 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
AI helps with this: Counsel others about personal matters16%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,845 conversations, and it got them there 87% of the time.
Still yours: Develop patient or client care or treatment plans11%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care10%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Monitor health conditions of humans or animals5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Present research or technical information5%
AI performed this in about 1 in 30 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Maintain health or medical records4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Prepare legal or regulatory documents4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Train others on operational or work procedures4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 348 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Interview people to obtain information3%
People try AI for this, but it seldom finishes the work in full.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 40 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
AI does this: Assist others to access additional services or resources3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 31 Copilot conversations and completed it 88% of the time.
AI does this: Advocate for individual or community needs3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,631 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Develop public or community health programs3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Evaluate programs, practices, or processes3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,764 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
AI does this: Explain medical information to patients or family members2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 230 Copilot conversations and completed it 96% of the time.
Still yours: Intervene in crisis situations or emergencies2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Administer emergency medical treatment2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Teach life skills2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 756 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
Still yours: Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Provide information or assistance to the public2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 7 Copilot conversations and completed it 86% of the time.
Still yours: Collect information about patients or clients2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Assess living, work, or social needs or status of individuals or communities2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,012 conversations, and it got them there 90% of the time.
Still yours: Develop health assessment methods or programs1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Administer basic health care or medical treatments1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Develop professional relationships or networks1%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,715 conversations, and it got them there 95% of the time.
Still yours: Collaborate in the development of educational programs1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Research healthcare issues1%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 142 conversations, and it got them there 93% of the time.
AI does this: Teach academic or vocational subjects1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 70 Copilot conversations and completed it 84% of the time.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 118 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 50,500 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 63% of the workHealthcare Social Workers18% AI does, against 26% here+8.5% by 2035 · $67,880 · Master’s degree
- Shares 40% of the workRegistered Nurses19% AI does, against 26% here+5.6% by 2035 · $97,550 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 40% of the workTherapists7% AI does, against 26% here+12.6% by 2035 · $77,930 · Bachelor’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Love front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.18, higher than 63% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 21-1018 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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