Drug abuse counselor vs behavior interventionist

The differences between drug abuse counselors and behavior interventionists 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 interventionist. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $38,908 average annual salary of a behavior interventionist.

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

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior interventionist overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Interventionist
Yearly salary	$49,420	$38,908
Hourly rate	$23.76	$18.71
Growth rate	11%	14%
Number of jobs	27,596	70,115
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior interventionist salary

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Interventionist
Average salary	$49,420	$38,908
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Crescent City Schools
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between drug abuse counselor and behavior interventionist education

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Interventionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior interventionist demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavior Interventionist
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%
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 behavior interventionist 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 interventionist example responsibilities.

Manage and target behaviors using the ESDM, ABA, PRT and SCERTS model.
Complete all require documentations including collecting data, graphing, IEP, and quarterly notes.
Focus on improving behavior and communication in children with autism and developmental disabilities by providing in home behavioral services.
Implement behavior programs design as directed for children with autism spectrum disorders, and children with other developmental disabilities.
Report infractions to the district as information to better understand the needs of at-risk kids.
Implement behavioral therapy programs design specifically for a client's needs under the supervision of a BCBA.

Drug abuse counselor vs behavior interventionist 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 interventionist skills

Applied Behavior Analysis, 19%
Autism, 18%
Behavior Analysis, 9%
Developmental Disabilities, 8%
ABA, 7%
Autism Spectrum Disorder, 5%

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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Behavior Interventionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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