Drug abuse technician vs service counselor

The differences between drug abuse technicians and service 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 service counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a service counselor has an average salary of $35,402, 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 service counselor are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Drug abuse technician vs service counselor overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Service Counselor
Yearly salary	$29,180	$35,402
Hourly rate	$14.03	$17.02
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	87,872	44,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	39	43
Years of experience	6	12

Drug abuse technician vs service counselor salary

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Service Counselor
Average salary	$29,180	$35,402
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $24,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Oregon	Hawaii
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Google
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between drug abuse technician and service counselor education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Service Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	San Diego State University	SUNY at Binghamton

Drug abuse technician vs service counselor demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Service Counselor
Average age	39	43
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	11%

Differences between drug abuse technician and service 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.

Service counselor example responsibilities.

Develop contracting strategy to build capacity and achieve ongoing compliance with Medicare and Medicaid provider network adequacy requirements.
Implement patient financial services department to assist patients and family members to ensure successful patient representation and expeditious benefit recovery.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Drug abuse technician vs service 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 service counselor skills

Social Work, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patients, 7%
Support Services, 6%
Social Services, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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