Alcohol and drug counselor vs certified medical technician

The differences between alcohol and drug counselors and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an alcohol and drug counselor, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor has an average salary of $45,758, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for an alcohol and drug counselor include patients, social work and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Alcohol and drug counselor vs certified medical technician overview

	Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$45,758	$38,859
Hourly rate	$22.00	$18.68
Growth rate	-	5%
Number of jobs	77,461	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	6	12

What does an alcohol and drug counselor do?

A drug & alcohol counselor treats addicts in either one-on-one or group settings. They help by educating and developing possible treatment plans for patients to support them in coping with their addictive personalities. A drug and alcohol counselor will evaluate to determine the progress has been successfully made towards recovery. They help patients better understand and overcome their addictions. Counselors help through offering support, rehabilitation, and guidance by using various techniques. Drug & alcohol counselors seek to help an addict find the source of their addiction.

What does a certified medical technician do?

Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.

Alcohol and drug counselor vs certified medical technician salary

Alcohol and drug counselors and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$45,758	$38,859
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $68,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Montage Health	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between alcohol and drug counselor and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between an alcohol and drug counselor and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Connecticut

Alcohol and drug counselor vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between alcohol and drug counselors' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
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, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between alcohol and drug counselor and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Alcohol and drug counselor vs certified medical technician skills

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

Alcohol And Drug Counselor vs. similar jobs

Alcohol And Drug Counselor related careers

Alcohol And Drug Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Alcohol And Drug Counselor vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs