Chemical dependency professional vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between chemical dependency professionals and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a chemical dependency professional and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, a chemical dependency professional has an average salary of $47,509, which is higher than the $45,758 average annual salary of an alcohol and drug counselor.

The top three skills for a chemical dependency professional include patients, CDP and mental health. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Chemical dependency professional vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$47,509	$45,758
Hourly rate	$22.84	$22.00
Growth rate	9%	-
Number of jobs	47,704	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Chemical dependency professional vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Chemical dependency professionals and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$47,509	$45,758
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $64,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Montage Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between chemical dependency professional and alcohol and drug counselor education

There are a few differences between a chemical dependency professional and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Chemical Engineering	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Chemical dependency professional vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between chemical dependency professionals' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
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 chemical dependency professional and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Chemical dependency professional example responsibilities.

Lead training for staff on specific counseling interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Observe strict compliance with all HIPPA guidelines
Conduct substance use assessments, diagnose DSM multi-axis clients, and design ISSP treatment plans.
Maintain a positive therapeutic relationship with patients while maintaining professional boundaries.
Encourage patients towards choosing in-patient/out-patient treatment, or transitional living environments, after their detox needs.
Provide daily group and individual psychotherapy at an outpatient rehabilitation facility for clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Chemical dependency professional vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common chemical dependency professional skills

Patients, 24%
CDP, 16%
Mental Health, 9%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Treatment Services, 4%
Substance USE Disorders, 4%

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Chemical Dependency Professional
Chemical Dependency Professional vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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