Drug abuse technician vs social worker

The differences between drug abuse technicians and social workers 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 social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, 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 social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Drug abuse technician vs social worker overview

	Drug Abuse Technician	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$29,180	$50,102
Hourly rate	$14.03	$24.09
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	87,872	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	39	45
Years of experience	6	2

Drug abuse technician vs social worker salary

Drug abuse technicians and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Technician	Social Worker
Average salary	$29,180	$50,102
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Dana Point, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Oregon	Oregon
Best paying company	Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between drug abuse technician and social worker education

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

	Drug Abuse Technician	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Social Work
Most common college	San Diego State University	University of Pennsylvania

Drug abuse technician vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between drug abuse technicians' and social workers' demographics:

	Drug Abuse Technician	Social Worker
Average age	39	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
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, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	13%

Differences between drug abuse technician and social worker 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.

Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

Drug abuse technician vs social worker 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 social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%