Drug abuse counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between drug abuse counselors 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 drug abuse counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $45,758 average annual salary of an alcohol and drug counselor.

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

Drug abuse counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,420	$45,758
Hourly rate	$23.76	$22.00
Growth rate	11%	-
Number of jobs	27,596	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Drug abuse counselors and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$49,420	$45,758
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Montage Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between drug abuse counselor and alcohol and drug counselor education

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

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

Drug abuse counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	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 drug abuse counselor and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Drug abuse counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common drug abuse counselor skills

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

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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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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