Alcoholic counselor vs substance abuse counselor

The differences between alcoholic counselors and substance abuse counselors 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 substance abuse counselor. Additionally, an alcoholic counselor has an average salary of $43,635, which is higher than the $43,069 average annual salary of a substance abuse counselor.

The top three skills for an alcoholic counselor include social work, discharge planning and AOD. The most important skills for a substance abuse counselor are patients, substance abuse treatment, and social work.

Alcoholic counselor vs substance abuse counselor overview

	Alcoholic Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,635	$43,069
Hourly rate	$20.98	$20.71
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	27,287	78,643
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Alcoholic counselor vs substance abuse counselor salary

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average salary	$43,635	$43,069
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Erlanger Health System
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between alcoholic counselor and substance abuse counselor education

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

	Alcoholic Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
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 substance abuse counselor demographics

Here are the differences between alcoholic counselors' and substance abuse counselors' demographics:

	Alcoholic Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between alcoholic counselor and substance abuse 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.

Substance abuse counselor example responsibilities.

Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform assessment of patients using ASAM criteria and recommendation for appropriate level of programming.
Process detox patient admissions on computer system which include - conducting alcohol and drug assessment, taking psycho/social history.
Provide clinical services, patient care, education and opiate addiction counseling services to patients receiving methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment.
Certify for first aid and CPR.

Alcoholic counselor vs substance abuse counselor skills

Common alcoholic counselor skills

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

Common substance abuse counselor skills

Patients, 16%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
Social Work, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Intake Assessments, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Alcoholic Counselor
Alcoholic Counselor vs Substance Abuse Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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