Drug abuse technician vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between drug abuse technicians and alcohol and drug counselors 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 technician and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor has an average salary of $45,758, which is higher than the $29,180 average annual salary of a drug abuse technician.

The top three skills for a drug abuse technician include drug screens, alcohol screens and drug tests. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Drug abuse technician vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$29,180	$45,758
Hourly rate	$14.03	$22.00
Growth rate	9%	-
Number of jobs	87,872	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Drug abuse technician vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Drug abuse technicians and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$29,180	$45,758
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Montage Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between drug abuse technician and alcohol and drug counselor education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	San Diego State University	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse technician vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
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 technician and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Drug abuse technician example responsibilities.

Work with outside counsel to develop patent and trademark portfolio and manage patent litigation.
Complete intake procedures for new clients including UA's.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Administer state require DWI protocols including breathalyzer tests and obtaining specimens.

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Drug abuse technician vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common drug abuse technician skills

Drug Screens, 17%
Alcohol Screens, 17%
Drug Tests, 14%
Test Results, 12%
Vital Signs, 8%
Custody Procedures, 6%

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

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Drug Abuse Technician
Drug Abuse Technician vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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