Drug abuse counselor vs behavior analyst

The differences between drug abuse counselors and behavior analysts 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 a behavior analyst. Additionally, a behavior analyst has an average salary of $73,616, which is higher than the $49,420 average annual salary of a drug abuse counselor.

The top three skills for a drug abuse counselor include patients, drug abuse and substance abuse education. The most important skills for a behavior analyst are autism, applied behavior analysis, and BCBA.

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior analyst overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Analyst
Yearly salary	$49,420	$73,616
Hourly rate	$23.76	$35.39
Growth rate	11%	14%
Number of jobs	27,596	67,013
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior analyst salary

Drug abuse counselors and behavior analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Analyst
Average salary	$49,420	$73,616
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $51,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Empower U
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between drug abuse counselor and behavior analyst education

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior analyst demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Analyst
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1%
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 behavior analyst 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.

Behavior analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and target behaviors using the ESDM, ABA, PRT and SCERTS model.
Conduct apply behavior analysis with children diagnose with autism spectrum disorders; collect and analyze data relate to behavioral trials.
Obtain RBT, CPR, CPI certification.
Go to different cases with kids that have autism and work to alter behavior.
Coordinate the changes with fire protection and hazardous materials supervisors at various DoD installations.
Focus primarily on functional communication and language, appropriate play skills, social skills, self-help skills, and parent training.

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior analyst 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 behavior analyst skills

Autism, 19%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 16%
BCBA, 12%
ABA, 11%
Behavior Analysis, 10%
Developmental Disabilities, 3%

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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Behavior Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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