Counselor technician vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between counselor technicians 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 counselor technician and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor has an average salary of $45,758, which is higher than the $42,314 average annual salary of a counselor technician.

The top three skills for a counselor technician include intellectual property, patients and substance abuse. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Counselor technician vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Counselor Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$42,314	$45,758
Hourly rate	$20.34	$22.00
Growth rate	10%	-
Number of jobs	79,999	77,461
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Counselor technician vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Counselor technicians and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Counselor Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$42,314	$45,758
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $67,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	BNY Mellon	Montage Health
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between counselor technician and alcohol and drug counselor education

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

	Counselor Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Counselor technician vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between counselor technicians' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

	Counselor Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4%	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 counselor technician and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Counselor technician example responsibilities.

Manage the dispute resolution/litigation process; responding to and resolving threaten litigation; responding to subpoenas and regulatory inquiries and investigations.
Transport clients to AA and NA meetings.
Transport clients to N/A or AA meetings each day, and also to the YMCA for recreational purposes.
Provide written documentation, facilitate group and individual programming and ensure safety of patients.
Supervise and/or escort patients in their medical and/or therapeutic treatments conduct by other professionals.
Manage the dispute resolution/litigation process; responding to and resolving threaten litigation; responding to subpoenas and regulatory inquiries and investigations.

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.

Counselor technician vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common counselor technician skills

Intellectual Property, 17%
Patients, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
Litigation, 9%
Mental Health, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

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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Counselor Technician
Counselor Technician vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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