Adult school counselor vs substance abuse counselor

The differences between adult school counselors and substance abuse counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an adult school counselor and a substance abuse counselor. Additionally, an adult school counselor has an average salary of $51,207, which is higher than the $43,069 average annual salary of a substance abuse counselor.

The top three skills for an adult school counselor include social work, substance abuse and community resources. The most important skills for a substance abuse counselor are patients, substance abuse treatment, and social work.

Adult school counselor vs substance abuse counselor overview

	Adult School Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary	$51,207	$43,069
Hourly rate	$24.62	$20.71
Growth rate	10%	-
Number of jobs	48,781	78,643
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Adult school counselor vs substance abuse counselor salary

Adult school counselors and substance abuse counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Adult School Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average salary	$51,207	$43,069
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $68,000	Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Erlanger Health System
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between adult school counselor and substance abuse counselor education

There are a few differences between an adult school counselor and a substance abuse counselor in terms of educational background:

	Adult School Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Adult school counselor vs substance abuse counselor demographics

Here are the differences between adult school counselors' and substance abuse counselors' demographics:

	Adult School Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between adult school counselor and substance abuse counselor duties and responsibilities

Adult school counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

Substance abuse counselor example responsibilities.

Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform assessment of patients using ASAM criteria and recommendation for appropriate level of programming.
Process detox patient admissions on computer system which include - conducting alcohol and drug assessment, taking psycho/social history.
Provide clinical services, patient care, education and opiate addiction counseling services to patients receiving methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment.
Certify for first aid and CPR.

Adult school counselor vs substance abuse counselor skills

Common adult school counselor skills

Social Work, 24%
Substance Abuse, 22%
Community Resources, 15%
Group Therapy, 10%
Discharge Planning, 3%
Social Services, 3%

Common substance abuse counselor skills

Patients, 16%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
Social Work, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Intake Assessments, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Adult School Counselor
Adult School Counselor vs Substance Abuse Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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