Case Manager salary guide

By experience

What moves the number

• Setting: center-based, in-home, school and telehealth all price differently for the same credential
• Caseload size and supervision responsibility
• State and metro cost of living, and how scarce the credential is locally
• Payer mix and billable expectation, which decide how achievable any bonus really is
• Bilingual capability and specialist skills such as feeding, AAC or severe behavior

Case Manager pay questions

How much does a Case Manager make?

Across the Behavioral Health Case Manager roles we currently recruit in the US, advertised pay runs at roughly $44k – $62k, with $52k typical mid-career — around $25 an hour on a 2,080-hour year. That is what employers are publishing on live vacancies, not a survey average.

What is a good starting salary for a Case Manager?

First roles after certification are advertised from about $44k. Treat anything below that as a signal to ask why: it usually means a heavier caseload, unpaid drive time, or a productivity target that makes the headline figure hard to reach.

Does Case Manager pay vary by state?

Yes, but less than cost of living does. We publish advertised pay on the roles we hold rather than state averages, so the state guides cover licensure, setting mix and local market conditions instead of quoting a figure we cannot evidence.

Read the whole package

Base pay is only part of it. Before comparing two offers, get the caseload cap, the billable or productivity target, PTO, CEU allowance, supervision provided, drive time and mileage policy, and how cancellations affect pay. A lower base with a sane caseload routinely beats a higher one without.

Ranges reflect what we typically see advertised on roles we recruit for in the US. They are a market guide, not a survey, and vary by setting, caseload and experience. Last reviewed August 2026.