Alcoholic counselor vs clinical counselor

The differences between alcoholic counselors and clinical counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an alcoholic counselor, becoming a clinical counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $43,635 average annual salary of an alcoholic counselor.

The top three skills for an alcoholic counselor include social work, discharge planning and AOD. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Alcoholic counselor vs clinical counselor overview

	Alcoholic Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,635	$54,191
Hourly rate	$20.98	$26.05
Growth rate	-	17%
Number of jobs	27,287	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Alcoholic counselor vs clinical counselor salary

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$43,635	$54,191
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $58,000	Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between alcoholic counselor and clinical counselor education

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Hunter College of the City University of New York	California State University - Long Beach

Alcoholic counselor vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between alcoholic counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:

	Alcoholic Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	15%

Differences between alcoholic counselor and clinical counselor 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.

Clinical counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
Initial assessment, diagnosis, ASAM criteria, treatment planning , 3rd party contact, group and individual therapy.
Maintain appropriate documentation per NYS OASAS regulations and APG guidelines

Alcoholic counselor vs clinical counselor skills

Common alcoholic counselor skills

Social Work, 44%
Discharge Planning, 14%
AOD, 13%
Treatment Services, 9%
Mental Health, 7%
Intake Process, 3%

Common clinical counselor skills

Social Work, 36%
Patients, 8%
Foster Care, 7%
Independent Living, 6%
Child Abuse, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

Alcoholic Counselor vs. similar jobs

Alcoholic Counselor related careers

Alcoholic Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Alcoholic Counselor
Alcoholic Counselor vs Clinical Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs