Drug abuse counselor vs mental health counselor

The differences between drug abuse counselors and mental health 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 mental health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $49,420 average annual salary of a drug abuse counselor.

The top three skills for a drug abuse counselor include patients, drug abuse and substance abuse education. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Drug abuse counselor vs mental health counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,420	$49,471
Hourly rate	$23.76	$23.78
Growth rate	11%	9%
Number of jobs	27,596	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Drug abuse counselor vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$49,420	$49,471
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between drug abuse counselor and mental health counselor education

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

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

Drug abuse counselor vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	15%

Differences between drug abuse counselor and mental health 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.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Drug abuse counselor vs mental health 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 mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Drug Abuse Counselor
Drug Abuse Counselor vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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