Career Explorer Community and social care
Grows with AI
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 83% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +18.4% by 2035, much faster than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $59,350
- Job growth to 2035
- +18.4%
- Openings a year
- 50,500
- People doing it (2025)
- 533,000
- Usual route in
- Master's degree, then an internship or residency
Where people already use AI for this work
- Counsel others about personal matters
- Present research or technical information
- Explain medical information to patients or family members
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Develop patient or client care or treatment plans
- Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care
- Monitor health conditions of humans or animals
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as demand rises for treatment of patients with mental and behavioral issues, including opioid addiction.
- More of these jobs, as a stronger emphasis on holistic care and treatment in health care models increases demand for research in the fields of substance abuse and mental health.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Mental health and substance abuse social workersGrows with AI, Index 90, +10.3%
- Marriage and family therapistsGrows with AI, Index 90, +13.5%
- Occupational therapistsGrows with AI, Index 84, +14.8%
- Coaches and scoutsHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +6.1%
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.