How To Become A Certified Alcohol Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a certified alcohol counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Aubrey Daniels Ph.D.

The average certified alcohol counselor salary is $48,706. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an psychology major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a certified alcohol counselor. Certified alcohol counselors with a Certified Professional Counselor certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 32,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a certified alcohol counselor?

Aubrey Daniels Ph.D.

Acting Assistant Professor, Rider University

Those who are beginning their career with a degree in mental and social health services and allied professions should aim to get as much experience as possible! Apply for positions where you are allowed to work with others, whether through one-on-one counseling, groups, or consulting. Also, take this time to learn about the business component of the profession, too.

Other ways to gain more experience is by partaking in a variety of training, online webinars, and conferences. There are many free online instructions you can partake in to gain more knowledge about topics of interest, whether it is a specific type of therapeutic approach or more information about a mental health disorder.

Also, be open! You never know which population you enjoy serving most, until you get the most experience possible. Lastly, a more diverse caseload will provide you with a better idea about how to help a wide range of individuals. It will also assist you in learning more about the different ways people view the world, which will widen your view of the world.

ScoreCertified Alcohol CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,706

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 3.23%

Black or African American 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 12.21%

Unknown 5.91%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 73.39%

male 26.61%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a certified alcohol counselor

Explore certified alcohol counselor education requirements

Most common certified alcohol counselor degrees

Bachelor's

54.8 %

Master's

19.5 %

Associate

14.9 %

Start to develop specific certified alcohol counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	19.65%
Substance Abuse	13.20%
Mental Health	11.81%
Crisis Intervention	9.33%
Medicaid	7.27%

Complete relevant certified alcohol counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified alcohol counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified alcohol counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified alcohol counselor resumes.

Research certified alcohol counselor duties and responsibilities

Experience working with manage care systems utilizing ASAM placement criteria and DSM-IV-TR o determine appropriate treatment setting for clients.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Gather contact information of local health clinics and community resources available for consumers that qualify under the Medicaid gap.
Administer CPR, and/or apply first aid when necessary.

Prepare your certified alcohol counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified alcohol counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a certified alcohol counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable certified alcohol counselor resume templates

Build a professional certified alcohol counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your certified alcohol counselor resume.

Apply for certified alcohol counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a certified alcohol counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do certified alcohol counselors rate their job?

-/5

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1 star

Certified alcohol counselor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019