The wages of peer recovery workers: underpaid, undervalued, and unjust

Figures & data

Table 1. Peer recovery coach annual salary distribution.

Percentile	Salary Range
Lower 4%	$27,500–$29,999
Next 7%	$30,000–$31,999
11%	$32,000–$34,499
12%	$34,500–$36,499
12%	$36,500–$38,999
10%	$39,000–$40,999
14%	$41,000–$43,499
7%	$43,500–$45,499
5%	$45,500–$47,999
4%	$48,000–$49,999
Upper 8%	$50,000–$52,000
Median	$39,799
Mean	$40,551

All data were accessed on November 30, 2023. All salaries are based on a 2,080-hour year. Due to rounding errors, percentages may not add to 100.

Source: ZipRecruiter salary data for peer coaches and specialists.

Table 2. Comparison of mean hourly wages with living wages for single adults with and without children by state.

State	Peer Coach Hourly Wage	Number of Children in Household
		0	1	2
DC	$22.96	$22.85	$43.96	$57.28
Alaska	$22.78	$17.70	$36.59	$47.01
Massachusetts	$22.46	$22.03	$47.02	$63.54
Washington	$21.61	$20.20	$39.91	$51.29
Nevada	$21.54	$17.56	$36.95	$48.02
Colorado	$21.18	$19.83	$41.49	$54.38
New York	$19.97	$22.14	$42.91	$56.12
Delaware	$19.89	$17.91	$36.87	$47.22
Illinois	$19.62	$18.68	$37.44	$48.30
Virginia	$19.59	$19.65	$39.33	$50.80
Vermont	$19.51	$17.35	$36.40	$47.36
Maryland	$19.26	$20.23	$40.48	$52.21
Nebraska	$18.84	$16.23	$34.79	$44.68
Missouri	$18.74	$16.27	$33.71	$42.62
California	$18.60	$21.92	$44.82	$58.28
Oregon	$18.58	$20.00	$39.34	$49.75
South Carolina	$18.58	$17.26	$32.33	$40.37
North Dakota	$18.58	$15.84	$33.42	$43.17
Pennsylvania	$18.29	$16.93	$35.55	$45.83
Oklahoma	$18.25	$15.98	$34.01	$43.28
Hawaii	$18.23	$22.75	$45.14	$56.85
New Jersey	$18.23	$19.30	$40.91	$54.72
North Carolina	$18.20	$17.37	$36.87	$47.88
Maine	$18.16	$17.06	$35.95	$46.42
Wisconsin	$18.05	$16.57	$36.11	$47.76
Idaho	$17.80	$16.58	$34.26	$43.25
New Hampshire	$17.79	$17.78	$37.12	$48.19
Kentucky	$17.73	$15.94	$33.39	$43.10
Texas	$17.69	$17.32	$35.00	$44.17
South Dakota	$17.56	$15.63	$33.15	$42.37
Michigan	$17.53	$16.79	$37.98	$52.54
Wyoming	$17.51	$16.14	$32.84	$42.83
Minnesota	$17.42	$17.52	$36.74	$47.33
New Mexico	$17.34	$16.58	$34.04	$43.37
Indiana	$17.27	$16.28	$32.86	$41.46
Rhode Island	$17.21	$18.08	$36.74	$47.55
Ohio	$16.94	$15.82	$34.97	$46.05
Arizona	$16.91	$18.35	$35.98	$44.66
Connecticut	$16.78	$18.32	$38.93	$50.56
Arkansas	$16.75	$15.73	$32.82	$41.96
Montana	$16.66	$16.22	$35.38	$46.26
Mississippi	$16.66	$15.91	$32.01	$40.06
Iowa	$16.65	$16.23	$33.78	$43.74
Alabama	$16.45	$16.15	$32.86	$41.57
Utah	$16.18	$17.97	$36.96	$47.14
Tennessee	$16.17	$16.50	$32.27	$40.64
Kansas	$15.69	$16.19	$33.77	$43.35
Georgia	$15.32	$18.28	$35.24	$44.24
Louisiana	$15.21	$16.36	$33.80	$42.92
West Virginia	$14.13	$16.07	$34.45	$44.73
Florida	$13.56	$18.28	$37.12	$47.42

All data were accessed on November 30, 2023. Hourly wages are in current (2023) dollars. Living wages below the mean hourly wage for a PRC are bolded.

Sources: ZipRecruiter and Living Wage Calculator.

Table 3. Comparison of mean hourly wages with living wages for households with two working adults with and without children by state.

State	Peer Coach Hourly Wage	Number of Children in Household
		0	1	2
DC	$22.96	$16.38	$23.91	$30.39
Alaska	$22.78	$14.20	$20.46	$25.81
Massachusetts	$22.46	$16.37	$25.51	$33.49
Washington	$21.61	$15.40	$22.12	$27.79
Nevada	$21.54	$14.23	$20.65	$26.28
Colorado	$21.18	$15.37	$22.92	$29.27
New York	$19.97	$16.10	$23.47	$29.95
Delaware	$19.89	$14.07	$20.35	$25.76
Illinois	$19.62	$14.68	$20.81	$26.42
Virginia	$19.59	$14.77	$21.61	$27.48
Vermont	$19.51	$13.60	$20.20	$25.85
Maryland	$19.26	$15.50	$22.26	$28.19
Nebraska	$18.84	$13.50	$19.41	$24.60
Missouri	$18.74	$13.10	$18.85	$23.62
California	$18.60	$16.66	$24.57	$31.02
Oregon	$18.58	$15.52	$21.94	$27.30
South Carolina	$18.58	$13.45	$18.11	$22.47
North Dakota	$18.58	$13.00	$18.72	$23.84
Pennsylvania	$18.29	$13.62	$19.84	$25.22
Oklahoma	$18.25	$13.21	$19.03	$24.01
Hawaii	$18.23	$17.14	$24.79	$30.51
New Jersey	$18.23	$14.92	$22.50	$29.34
North Carolina	$18.20	$13.90	$20.44	$26.19
Maine	$18.16	$13.36	$19.92	$25.36
Wisconsin	$18.05	$13.48	$19.94	$26.00
Idaho	$17.80	$13.61	$19.29	$24.08
New Hampshire	$17.79	$13.99	$20.57	$26.19
Kentucky	$17.73	$12.99	$18.74	$23.94
Texas	$17.69	$13.85	$19.48	$24.37
South Dakota	$17.56	$13.05	$18.60	$23.50
Michigan	$17.53	$13.43	$21.05	$28.33
Wyoming	$17.51	$13.26	$18.58	$23.86
Minnesota	$17.42	$14.07	$20.30	$25.77
New Mexico	$17.34	$13.63	$19.20	$24.15
Indiana	$17.27	$13.37	$18.52	$23.11
Rhode Island	$17.21	$14.08	$20.37	$25.93
Ohio	$16.94	$13.08	$19.52	$25.31
Arizona	$16.91	$14.58	$20.16	$24.76
Connecticut	$16.78	$14.57	$21.52	$27.32
Arkansas	$16.75	$12.86	$18.31	$23.21
Montana	$16.66	$13.38	$19.79	$25.48
Mississippi	$16.66	$13.01	$17.94	$22.32
Iowa	$16.65	$12.98	$18.91	$24.15
Alabama	$16.45	$13.18	$18.49	$23.18
Utah	$16.18	$14.28	$20.65	$25.95
Tennessee	$16.17	$13.19	$18.12	$22.64
Kansas	$15.69	$13.26	$18.89	$23.98
Georgia	$15.32	$14.09	$19.61	$24.47
Louisiana	$15.21	$13.50	$18.88	$23.72
West Virginia	$14.13	$12.97	$19.28	$24.78
Florida	$13.56	$14.29	$20.54	$25.87

All data were accessed on November 30, 2023. Hourly wages are in current (2023) dollars. Living wages below the mean hourly wage for a PRC are bolded.

Sources: ZipRecruiter and Living Wage Calculator.

Data availability statement

The author confirms that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.