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The differences between counselors and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor has an average salary of $45,758, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a counselor include patients, crisis intervention and substance abuse. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.
| Counselor | Alcohol And Drug Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,225 | $45,758 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $22.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 77,536 | 77,461 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
A drug & alcohol counselor treats addicts in either one-on-one or group settings. They help by educating and developing possible treatment plans for patients to support them in coping with their addictive personalities. A drug and alcohol counselor will evaluate to determine the progress has been successfully made towards recovery. They help patients better understand and overcome their addictions. Counselors help through offering support, rehabilitation, and guidance by using various techniques. Drug & alcohol counselors seek to help an addict find the source of their addiction.
Counselors and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor | Alcohol And Drug Counselor | |
| Average salary | $36,225 | $45,758 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $67,000 | Between $30,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | - | Montage Health |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:
| Counselor | Alcohol And Drug Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between counselors' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:
| Counselor | Alcohol And Drug Counselor | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 9% | 12% |