Drug abuse worker vs mental health therapist

The differences between drug abuse workers and mental health therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a drug abuse worker and a mental health therapist. Additionally, a mental health therapist has an average salary of $50,259, which is higher than the $36,741 average annual salary of a drug abuse worker.

The top three skills for a drug abuse worker include substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention and abuse program. The most important skills for a mental health therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.

Drug abuse worker vs mental health therapist overview

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Yearly salary	$36,741	$50,259
Hourly rate	$17.66	$24.16
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	22,487	114,386
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Drug abuse worker vs mental health therapist salary

Drug abuse workers and mental health therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Average salary	$36,741	$50,259
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $35,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Tykes And Teens
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between drug abuse worker and mental health therapist education

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

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Drug abuse worker vs mental health therapist demographics

Here are the differences between drug abuse workers' and mental health therapists' demographics:

	Drug Abuse Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.8% Female, 68.2%	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between drug abuse worker and mental health therapist duties and responsibilities

Drug abuse worker example responsibilities.

Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
Require to successfully complete yearly training for medication management, behavioral management and periodic CPR and first aid certifications.
Facilitate institutional AA meetings as necessary.

Mental health therapist example responsibilities.

Create and lead PTSD group for women, depression and stress management groups for men and women.
Collaborate with patients to develop individualize treatment plans and evaluate plans periodically to monitor progress towards achieving identify goals and objectives.
Provide clinical supervision for MFT intern and participate in peer to peer reviews.
Receive training in diagnoses, physical restraints and CPR.
Care for children with autism and document daily data collection.
Utilize therapy techniques from various modalities including EMDR, TF-CBT, and DBT

Drug abuse worker vs mental health therapist skills

Common drug abuse worker skills

Substance Abuse Treatment, 39%
Crisis Intervention, 14%
Abuse Program, 13%
Transport Clients, 12%
Clinical Supervision, 6%
Group Therapy, 4%

Common mental health therapist skills

Social Work, 35%
Patients, 10%
Mental Health, 6%
Group Therapy Sessions, 5%
Mental Health Issues, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Drug Abuse Worker
Drug Abuse Worker vs Mental Health Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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