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Alcoholic counselor vs behavioral specialist

The differences between alcoholic counselors 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 alcoholic counselor and a behavioral specialist. Additionally, an alcoholic counselor has an average salary of $43,635, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.

The top three skills for an alcoholic counselor include social work, discharge planning and AOD. The most important skills for a behavioral specialist are mental health, autism, and applied behavior analysis.

Alcoholic counselor vs behavioral specialist overview

Alcoholic CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Yearly salary$43,635$42,029
Hourly rate$20.98$20.21
Growth rate-12%
Number of jobs27,28774,968
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age3939
Years of experience66

Alcoholic counselor vs behavioral specialist salary

Alcoholic counselors and behavioral specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Alcoholic CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Average salary$43,635$42,029
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $58,000Between $28,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Barbarian
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between alcoholic counselor and behavioral specialist education

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

Alcoholic CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeHunter College of the City University of New YorkCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Alcoholic counselor vs behavioral specialist demographics

Here are the differences between alcoholic counselors' and behavioral specialists' demographics:

Alcoholic CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 51.3% Female, 48.7%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 alcoholic counselor and behavioral specialist duties and responsibilities

Alcoholic counselor example responsibilities.

  • Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
  • Facilitate substance abuse group counseling sessions to assist patients in recognizing causal factors of substance abuse and in developing coping behaviors.
  • Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

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

Alcoholic counselor vs behavioral specialist skills

Common alcoholic counselor skills
  • Social Work, 44%
  • Discharge Planning, 14%
  • AOD, 13%
  • Treatment Services, 9%
  • Mental Health, 7%
  • Intake Process, 3%
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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