How to hire an alcohol and drug counselor

How to hire an alcohol and drug counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step alcohol and drug counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an alcohol and drug counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new alcohol and drug counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an alcohol and drug counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your alcohol and drug counselor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an alcohol and drug counselor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect alcohol and drug counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of alcohol and drug counselor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Alcohol And Drug Counselor	Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.	$14-32
   Primary Therapist	Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.	$20-39
   Mental Health Professional	The duties of a mental health professional will revolve around observing the behavior of patients. They are responsible for knowing their medical history, conducting consultations and assessments, diagnosing conditions, devising particular treatments and prescribing medication, and providing emotional support to patients... Show more	$16-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Rehabilitation
   • Substance Abuse Treatment
   • Treatment Services
   • Intake Assessments
   • ASAM
   • Discharge Planning
   • Community Resources
   • Discharge Summaries
   • Drug Abuse
   • Mental Health Issues
   • Relapse Prevention

   Check all skills

   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.

   More alcohol and drug counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your alcohol and drug counselor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An alcohol and drug counselor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an alcohol and drug counselor in New Jersey may be lower than in California, and an entry-level alcohol and drug counselor usually earns less than a senior-level alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average alcohol and drug counselor salary

   $45,758yearly

   $22.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level alcohol and drug counselor salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average alcohol and drug counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$52,648	$25
   2	Minnesota	$43,684	$21
   3	Washington	$43,239	$21
   4	Texas	$40,470	$19
   5	Oregon	$40,277	$19
   6	South Dakota	$38,246	$18
   7	Georgia	$37,016	$18
   8	Louisiana	$36,902	$18
   9	Virginia	$36,477	$18
   10	Nebraska	$36,294	$17
   11	Iowa	$35,228	$17
   12	Ohio	$34,598	$17
   13	New Jersey	$30,803	$15
   14	Pennsylvania	$30,694	$15
   15	New York	$30,491	$15
   16	Maine	$26,460	$13

   Average alcohol and drug counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Montage Health	$65,660	$31.57	5
   2	Sharp HealthCare	$58,666	$28.20	5
   3	Prime Healthcare	$57,555	$27.67	29
   4	Health Alliance	$57,074	$27.44	9
   5	Kaiser Permanente	$52,902	$25.43	74
   6	Minnesota State Fair	$51,401	$24.71	37
   7	Aurora	$49,402	$23.75	4
   8	New Seasons Market	$48,876	$23.50	54
   9	Mayo Clinic	$47,960	$23.06	22
   10	New Bridge Medical Center	$46,959	$22.58
   11	Southwest Key Programs	$46,957	$22.58	11
   12	Waddington North America Inc	$46,643	$22.42
   13	Universal Health Services	$46,345	$22.28	290
   14	Job Corps	$46,328	$22.27	1
   15	Travis County	$46,147	$22.19
   16	Fort Bend County	$46,004	$22.12	2
   17	UnityPoint Health	$45,946	$22.09	47
   18	Metropolitan	$45,689	$21.97
   19	Apis	$45,519	$21.88	21
   20	Advanced Practice Strategies, Inc.	$45,484	$21.87

4. Writing an alcohol and drug counselor job description

   An alcohol and drug counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an alcohol and drug counselor job description:

   Alcohol and drug counselor job description example

   Are you looking for an opportunity to advance your career while working with an extraordinary team? At Merakey, we put heart and soul into everything we do. We are seeking
   Drug and Alcohol Counselor to join our team at our program in Philadelphia, PA.
   
   Earn $24.28/hour without a license, $27.21/hour with a license.
   
   Position Details
   Merakey's CTT Family Rehousing Program is a community-based program that helps adults who are experiencing homelessness or home insecurity, due to their addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, return to their family or family of choice. The CTT Family Rehousing Program team aims to wrap clients with therapeutic and supportive services to obtain employment/education resources, regain housing stability, and maintain drug and alcohol recovery. D&A Counselors will be responsible for individual and family sessions.
   
   BENEFITS
   Merakey offers Medical, Dental, Vision insurance plans, competitive compensation plans, Work/Life balance, flexible schedules, cell phone discount plan, employee referral bonuses, tuition reimbursement and much more!
   To fill out an on-line application: www.merakey.org/careers
   
   
   ABOUT MERAKEY
   Merakey is a leading developmental, behavioral health, and education non-profit provider with a fifty-year history. We offer a breadth of integrated services to individuals and communities across the country. Our belief that every individual has the right to achieve growth, dignity, and fulfillment guides all of our decisions. At Merakey, we care about each other and are committed to providing the very best care to those we serve. Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.
   
   Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status. Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
   
   Master's Degree or higher in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, psychology, addictions studies, social work or related field with specialty or concentration in counseling required, (LPC, LCSW or LMFT) preferred.
   One (1) year of counseling experience (a minimum of 1,820 hours) in a health or human service agency, preferably in a drug and alcohol setting.
   If experience is not in a drug and alcohol setting, the individuals' written training plan shall specifically address a plan to achieve counseling competency in chemical dependency issues.
   Additional/specific training and/or education in specific human service/counseling fields related to the field of drug and alcohol only.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right alcohol and drug counselor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with alcohol and drug counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit alcohol and drug counselors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your alcohol and drug counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit alcohol and drug counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with alcohol and drug counselor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new alcohol and drug counselor

   Once you've selected the best alcohol and drug counselor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an alcohol and drug counselor?