Drug abuse counselor vs family counselor

The differences between drug abuse counselors and family counselors 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 family counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a drug abuse counselor has an average salary of $49,420, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a drug abuse counselor include patients, drug abuse and substance abuse education. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Drug abuse counselor vs family counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,420	$41,510
Hourly rate	$23.76	$19.96
Growth rate	11%	14%
Number of jobs	27,596	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Drug abuse counselor vs family counselor salary

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Family Counselor
Average salary	$49,420	$41,510
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between drug abuse counselor and family counselor education

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse counselor vs family counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Family Counselor
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	6%

Differences between drug abuse counselor and family counselor 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.

Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

Drug abuse counselor vs family counselor 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 family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

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Drug Abuse Counselor vs Family Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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