Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral specialist

The differences between drug abuse counselors and behavioral specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.

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

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral specialist overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Specialist
Yearly salary	$49,420	$42,029
Hourly rate	$23.76	$20.21
Growth rate	11%	12%
Number of jobs	27,596	74,968
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral specialist salary

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Specialist
Average salary	$49,420	$42,029
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $28,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Barbarian
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between drug abuse counselor and behavioral specialist education

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral specialist demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Behavioral Specialist
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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 specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
Implement a CPR training program for 20 staff serving 50 clients with mental illness.
Guide student achievement according to district's math content standards, utilizing identify needs information.
Assist children with autism or other developmental disabilities with activities and therapeutic socialization to improve social skills and academic performance.
Attend ETR meetings and provide input on students.
Sanitize toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.

Drug abuse counselor vs behavioral specialist 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 specialist skills

Mental Health, 10%
Autism, 10%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Social Work, 6%

Drug Abuse Counselor vs. similar jobs

Drug Abuse Counselor related careers

Drug Abuse Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Behavioral Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs