Drug abuse worker vs primary therapist

The differences between drug abuse workers and primary 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 primary therapist. Additionally, a primary therapist has an average salary of $59,826, 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 primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.

Drug abuse worker vs primary therapist overview

	Drug Abuse Worker	Primary Therapist
Yearly salary	$36,741	$59,826
Hourly rate	$17.66	$28.76
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	22,487	85,127
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 primary therapist salary

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

	Drug Abuse Worker	Primary Therapist
Average salary	$36,741	$59,826
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $43,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between drug abuse worker and primary therapist education

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

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

Drug abuse worker vs primary therapist demographics

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

	Drug Abuse Worker	Primary Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.8% Female, 68.2%	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%
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 primary 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.

Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

Drug abuse worker vs primary 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 primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%