Group therapist vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between group therapists and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a group therapist, becoming an alcohol and drug counselor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a group therapist has an average salary of $58,892, which is higher than the $45,758 average annual salary of an alcohol and drug counselor.

The top three skills for a group therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Group therapist vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Group Therapist	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$58,892	$45,758
Hourly rate	$28.31	$22.00
Growth rate	14%	-
Number of jobs	113,813	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	39
Years of experience	4	6

Group therapist vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Group therapists and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Group Therapist	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$58,892	$45,758
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $85,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Montage Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between group therapist and alcohol and drug counselor education

There are a few differences between a group therapist and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:

	Group Therapist	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Group therapist vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between group therapists' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

	Group Therapist	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	41	39
Gender ratio	Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	12%

Differences between group therapist and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Group therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Provide group psychotherapy to adult patients diagnose with a chronic mental illness at a partial hospitalization program on Saturday mornings.
Participate in weekly DBT consultation team.
Complete DUI evaluations that focuse on past and current alcohol and drug use, specifically as it relates to driving history.
Facilitate and provide psycho educational services to mandate DUI offenders.
Evaluate patients for competency and criminal responsibility on forensic cases refer by state courts; provide judicial testimony in guardianship cases.

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Group therapist vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common group therapist skills

Social Work, 19%
Patients, 16%
Group Therapy Sessions, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Eating Disorders, 5%

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

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Group Therapist
Group Therapist vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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