School guidance counselor vs substance abuse counselor

The differences between school guidance counselors and substance abuse counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school guidance counselor has an average salary of $49,562, which is higher than the $43,069 average annual salary of a substance abuse counselor.

The top three skills for a school guidance counselor include crisis intervention, community agencies and professional development. The most important skills for a substance abuse counselor are patients, substance abuse treatment, and social work.

School guidance counselor vs substance abuse counselor overview

	School Guidance Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,562	$43,069
Hourly rate	$23.83	$20.71
Growth rate	10%	-
Number of jobs	82,545	78,643
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	42	39
Years of experience	-	6

What does a school guidance counselor do?

School Guidance Counselors assess students' ability and potential, provide private counseling, and coordinate with fellow professionals on student matters. To help students in realizing their objectives, school guidance counselors evaluate their attributes. Also, they identify behavioral problems and appropriately to remedy the situation. Part of their duties is to cooperate with parents, external partners, and academic staff. To succeed, these guidance counselors must be authentic and accessible with good communication skills and a profound interest in helping students to achieve career and academic goals.

What does a substance abuse counselor do?

Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery. The mental health counselors aid patients to overcome their chemical dependencies and become self-sufficient individuals. Part of their duty includes meeting clients to evaluate their health and substance issues while creating goals and treatment plans. They teach clients coping mechanisms, refer them to support groups, and engage them in group therapy sessions. Once the patient is stable, they help them re-establish their careers and give updates and reports of progress to the courts. Requirements for the job include a master's degree in counseling and social work.

School guidance counselor vs substance abuse counselor salary

School guidance counselors and substance abuse counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	School Guidance Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average salary	$49,562	$43,069
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $67,000	Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	California	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Tolleson Union High School District	Erlanger Health System
Best paying industry	Education	Non Profits

Differences between school guidance counselor and substance abuse counselor education

There are a few differences between a school guidance counselor and a substance abuse counselor in terms of educational background:

	School Guidance Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	School Counseling	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

School guidance counselor vs substance abuse counselor demographics

Here are the differences between school guidance counselors' and substance abuse counselors' demographics:

	School Guidance Counselor	Substance Abuse Counselor
Average age	42	39
Gender ratio	Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	11%	12%

Differences between school guidance counselor and substance abuse counselor duties and responsibilities

School guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Participate in IEP's staff meetings, parent meetings and individual student counseling.
Attend and participate in IEP meetings, truancy elimination meetings, children s clinic meetings, and parent meetings.
Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Substance abuse counselor example responsibilities.

Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform assessment of patients using ASAM criteria and recommendation for appropriate level of programming.
Process detox patient admissions on computer system which include - conducting alcohol and drug assessment, taking psycho/social history.
Provide clinical services, patient care, education and opiate addiction counseling services to patients receiving methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment.
Certify for first aid and CPR.

School guidance counselor vs substance abuse counselor skills

Common school guidance counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 7%
Community Agencies, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Financial Aid, 5%
Career Planning, 4%
K-12, 4%

Common substance abuse counselor skills

Patients, 16%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
Social Work, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Intake Assessments, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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School Guidance Counselor vs Substance Abuse Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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