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Addiction therapist vs behavioral specialist

The differences between addiction therapists and behavioral specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an addiction therapist and a behavioral specialist. Additionally, an addiction therapist has an average salary of $53,271, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.

The top three skills for an addiction therapist include patients, social work and chemical dependency. The most important skills for a behavioral specialist are mental health, autism, and applied behavior analysis.

Addiction therapist vs behavioral specialist overview

Addiction TherapistBehavioral Specialist
Yearly salary$53,271$42,029
Hourly rate$25.61$20.21
Growth rate9%12%
Number of jobs94,94274,968
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age3939
Years of experience66

Addiction therapist vs behavioral specialist salary

Addiction therapists and behavioral specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Addiction TherapistBehavioral Specialist
Average salary$53,271$42,029
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $71,000Between $28,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Barbarian
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between addiction therapist and behavioral specialist education

There are a few differences between an addiction therapist and a behavioral specialist in terms of educational background:

Addiction TherapistBehavioral Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Addiction therapist vs behavioral specialist demographics

Here are the differences between addiction therapists' and behavioral specialists' demographics:

Addiction TherapistBehavioral Specialist
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 35.4% Female, 64.6%Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between addiction therapist and behavioral specialist duties and responsibilities

Addiction therapist example responsibilities.

  • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
  • Conduct psycho-educational support groups on addictive behaviors, patterns and relapse prevention and perform psycho-social assessments on patients.
  • Provide individual and group therapy to chemically dependent and mental health patients in a residential setting.
  • Perform initial evaluations and intakes, make eligibility determinations, conduct rehabilitation planning and problem solving, and counseling.
  • Work closely with a license orthotist/prosthetist to obtain orthotics for children who require them.

Behavioral specialist example responsibilities.

  • Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
  • Implement a CPR training program for 20 staff serving 50 clients with mental illness.
  • Guide student achievement according to district's math content standards, utilizing identify needs information.
  • Assist children with autism or other developmental disabilities with activities and therapeutic socialization to improve social skills and academic performance.
  • Attend ETR meetings and provide input on students.
  • Sanitize toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
  • Show more

Addiction therapist vs behavioral specialist skills

Common addiction therapist skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Social Work, 15%
  • Chemical Dependency, 9%
  • Continuous Improvement, 8%
  • Client Care, 6%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%
Common behavioral specialist skills
  • Mental Health, 10%
  • Autism, 10%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Social Work, 6%

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