Drug abuse counselor vs certified medical technician

The differences between drug abuse counselors and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a drug abuse counselor, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a drug abuse counselor include patients, drug abuse and substance abuse education. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Drug abuse counselor vs certified medical technician overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$49,420	$38,859
Hourly rate	$23.76	$18.68
Growth rate	11%	5%
Number of jobs	27,596	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	6	12

Drug abuse counselor vs certified medical technician salary

Drug abuse counselors and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$49,420	$38,859
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between drug abuse counselor and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a drug abuse counselor and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Connecticut

Drug abuse counselor vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between drug abuse counselors' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
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, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between drug abuse counselor and certified medical technician 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.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Drug abuse counselor vs certified medical technician 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 certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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