Alcoholic counselor vs mental health counselor

The differences between alcoholic counselors and mental health 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 mental health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, 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 mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Alcoholic counselor vs mental health counselor overview

	Alcoholic Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,635	$49,471
Hourly rate	$20.98	$23.78
Growth rate	-	9%
Number of jobs	27,287	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Alcoholic counselor vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$43,635	$49,471
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $58,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between alcoholic counselor and mental health counselor education

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 mental health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between alcoholic counselors' and mental health counselors' demographics:

	Alcoholic Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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 mental health 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.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Alcoholic counselor vs mental health counselor skills

Common alcoholic counselor skills

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

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Alcoholic Counselor
Alcoholic Counselor vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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