Drug abuse technician vs mental health counselor

The differences between drug abuse technicians 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 technician, 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 $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 mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Drug abuse technician vs mental health counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$29,180	$49,471
Hourly rate	$14.03	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	87,872	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	41
Years of experience	6	4

Drug abuse technician vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$29,180	$49,471
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Washington
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between drug abuse technician and mental health counselor education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	San Diego State University	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse technician vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Mental 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 mental 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.

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 technician vs mental 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 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 Technician
Drug Abuse Technician vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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