Drug abuse technician vs community health counselor

The differences between drug abuse technicians and community 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 technician, becoming a community health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a community health counselor has an average salary of $43,304, 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 a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.

Drug abuse technician vs community health counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Community Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$29,180	$43,304
Hourly rate	$14.03	$20.82
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	87,872	131,804
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Drug abuse technician vs community health counselor salary

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Community Health Counselor
Average salary	$29,180	$43,304
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $29,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Apple
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between drug abuse technician and community health counselor education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Community Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	San Diego State University	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse technician vs community health counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Community Health Counselor
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	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 technician and community health 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.

Community health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide group and individual therapy along with social service coordination for patients in short term stabilization psychiatric unit.
Train in medication administration, therapeutic holds and CPR.
Maintain cleanliness of home provide assistance with cleaning rooms and common areas.
Train in MNT, TCI, first aide and CPR with several other essential trainings.
Complete insurance verification information for Medicaid participants.
Maintain caseload paperwork in accordance with Georgia Medicaid requirements.

Drug abuse technician vs community health 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 community health counselor skills

Social Work, 19%
Behavioral Health, 17%
Patients, 17%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Discharge Planning, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Drug Abuse Technician
Drug Abuse Technician vs Community Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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