Chemical dependency therapist vs behavioral therapist

The differences between chemical dependency therapists and behavioral therapists 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 therapist and a behavioral therapist. Additionally, a chemical dependency therapist has an average salary of $56,575, which is higher than the $37,881 average annual salary of a behavioral therapist.

The top three skills for a chemical dependency therapist include patients, chemical dependency and treatment services. The most important skills for a behavioral therapist are autism, social work, and behavior analysis.

Chemical dependency therapist vs behavioral therapist overview

	Chemical Dependency Therapist	Behavioral Therapist
Yearly salary	$56,575	$37,881
Hourly rate	$27.20	$18.21
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	34,075	91,976
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Chemical dependency therapist vs behavioral therapist salary

Chemical dependency therapists and behavioral therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemical Dependency Therapist	Behavioral Therapist
Average salary	$56,575	$37,881
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $83,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	George C. Grape Community Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between chemical dependency therapist and behavioral therapist education

There are a few differences between a chemical dependency therapist and a behavioral therapist in terms of educational background:

	Chemical Dependency Therapist	Behavioral Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Chemical dependency therapist vs behavioral therapist demographics

Here are the differences between chemical dependency therapists' and behavioral therapists' demographics:

	Chemical Dependency Therapist	Behavioral Therapist
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%
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 therapist and behavioral therapist duties and responsibilities

Chemical dependency therapist example responsibilities.

Utilize ASAM's criteria to determine the appropriate therapeutic level of care for patients/clients.
Direct weekly psycho-educational group for parents of patients.
Coordinate intake process for new patients including preliminary individual treatment plans.
Develop and increase knowledge of federal, state and agency regulations regarding confidentiality methadone treatment and substance abuse counseling certification.
Conduct psychological test batteries and write integrative reports for IEP meetings.
Administer state require DWI protocols including breathalyzer tests and obtaining specimens.

Behavioral therapist example responsibilities.

Manage behavioral program for each client assign (CPI training).
Modele self-help and independent skills to assist autistic and developmentally delay children achieving their establish goals.
Assist the BCBA in assessing new clients, supervising line therapists, providing parent training, and formulating client specific programs.
Analyze and interpret results through graphing data collect from individual sessions.
Work collaboratively with BCBA's and direct line staff to ensure care plan and procedures are being implement consistently and uniformly.
Communicate with school administration, school teacher's and teaching assistants with helping create IEP's and behavior plans for individuals.

Chemical dependency therapist vs behavioral therapist skills

Common chemical dependency therapist skills

Patients, 31%
Chemical Dependency, 19%
Treatment Services, 11%
OASAS, 7%
ASAM, 6%
Substance Abuse, 3%

Common behavioral therapist skills

Autism, 15%
Social Work, 12%
Behavior Analysis, 11%
Patients, 10%
Provide ABA, 6%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 5%

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Chemical Dependency Therapist vs Behavioral Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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