Chemical dependency professional vs drug abuse counselor

The differences between chemical dependency professionals and drug 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 a chemical dependency professional and a drug abuse counselor. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $47,509 average annual salary of a chemical dependency professional.

The top three skills for a chemical dependency professional include patients, CDP and mental health. The most important skills for a drug abuse counselor are patients, drug abuse, and substance abuse education.

Chemical dependency professional vs drug abuse counselor overview

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Drug Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary	$47,509	$49,420
Hourly rate	$22.84	$23.76
Growth rate	9%	11%
Number of jobs	47,704	27,596
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Chemical dependency professional vs drug abuse counselor salary

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

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Drug Abuse Counselor
Average salary	$47,509	$49,420
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $64,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between chemical dependency professional and drug abuse counselor education

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

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Drug Abuse Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Chemical Engineering	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Chemical dependency professional vs drug abuse counselor demographics

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

	Chemical Dependency Professional	Drug Abuse Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%
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 drug abuse 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.

Drug abuse counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Consult with physicians regarding increase or decrease of methadone dosage.
Supervise and direct other workers providing services to patients.
Provide individual counseling services to opioid dependent clients in outpatient methadone maintenance treatment.
Participate in policy-shaping rehabilitation committee meetings.
Provide DBT group psychotherapy in inpatient, residential setting serving pregnant teenagers and young mothers.

Chemical dependency professional vs drug abuse 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 drug abuse counselor skills

Patients, 14%
Drug Abuse, 10%
Substance Abuse Education, 10%
Discharge Summaries, 10%
Methadone, 6%
Substance Abuse Issues, 5%

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Chemical Dependency Professional
Chemical Dependency Professional vs Drug Abuse Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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