Counselor technician vs drug abuse counselor

The differences between counselor technicians 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 counselor technician and a drug abuse counselor. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, 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 a drug abuse counselor are patients, drug abuse, and substance abuse education.

Counselor technician vs drug abuse counselor overview

	Counselor Technician	Drug Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary	$42,314	$49,420
Hourly rate	$20.34	$23.76
Growth rate	10%	11%
Number of jobs	79,999	27,596
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Counselor technician vs drug abuse counselor salary

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

	Counselor Technician	Drug Abuse Counselor
Average salary	$42,314	$49,420
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $67,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	BNY Mellon	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between counselor technician and drug abuse counselor education

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

	Counselor Technician	Drug Abuse Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Counselor technician vs drug abuse counselor demographics

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

	Counselor Technician	Drug Abuse Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4%	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 counselor technician and drug abuse 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.

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.

Counselor technician vs drug abuse counselor skills

Common counselor technician skills

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

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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Counselor Technician
Counselor Technician vs Drug Abuse Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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