Drug abuse technician vs family therapist

The differences between drug abuse technicians and family therapists 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 family therapist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a family therapist has an average salary of $50,774, 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 family therapist are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.

Drug abuse technician vs family therapist overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Family Therapist
Yearly salary	$29,180	$50,774
Hourly rate	$14.03	$24.41
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	87,872	106,982
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Drug abuse technician vs family therapist salary

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Family Therapist
Average salary	$29,180	$50,774
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	Oregon	Oregon
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Dignity Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between drug abuse technician and family therapist education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Family Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	San Diego State University	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse technician vs family therapist demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Family Therapist
Average age	39	41
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%
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 technician and family therapist 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.

Family therapist example responsibilities.

Complete documentation to medicaid standards.
Create maximum billable Medicaid hours and submitting necessary paperwork for Medicaid billing.
Apply behavioral analysis instruction for a student with autism concentrating on communication, socialization, self-help skills and community skills.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.

Drug abuse technician vs family therapist 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 family therapist skills

Social Work, 27%
Patients, 6%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 4%
Mental Health Issues, 4%
Group Therapy, 3%

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Drug Abuse Technician
Drug Abuse Technician vs Family Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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