Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral interventionist

The differences between drug abuse counselors and behavioral 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 behavioral interventionist. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $39,259 average annual salary of a behavioral interventionist.

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

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral interventionist overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Interventionist
Yearly salary	$49,420	$39,259
Hourly rate	$23.76	$18.87
Growth rate	11%	12%
Number of jobs	27,596	67,059
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral interventionist salary

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Interventionist
Average salary	$49,420	$39,259
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Hattiesburg, MS
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between drug abuse counselor and behavioral interventionist education

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Interventionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral interventionist demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Interventionist
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
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 behavioral 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.

Behavioral interventionist example responsibilities.

Implement evidence-base educational and clinical treatment to students with autism spectrum disorders and/or other relate developmental disabilities.
Attend monthly clinic meetings to report recent progress to BCBA.
Job responsibilities include carrying out clients plan as directed by BCBA.
Redirect, reassure student, implement IEP behavioral objectives and assist student in meeting IEP goals.
Create program plans and IEP's specific to each individuals needs in order to maximize potential.
Carry out appropriate CPI strategies when need to assure the safety of students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral 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 behavioral interventionist skills

Autism, 15%
Behavior Analysis, 14%
ABA, 14%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 7%
Autism Spectrum Disorder, 6%
Behavioral Therapy, 5%

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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Behavioral Interventionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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