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Substance abuse clinician vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between substance abuse clinicians and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a substance abuse clinician and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, a substance abuse clinician has an average salary of $50,155, which is higher than the $45,758 average annual salary of an alcohol and drug counselor.

The top three skills for a substance abuse clinician include social work, substance abuse treatment and patients. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Substance abuse clinician vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

Substance Abuse ClinicianAlcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary$50,155$45,758
Hourly rate$24.11$22.00
Growth rate9%-
Number of jobs12,01777,461
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age3939
Years of experience66

Substance abuse clinician vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Substance abuse clinicians and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Substance Abuse ClinicianAlcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary$50,155$45,758
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $68,000Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying CityDanbury, CTSanta Rosa, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyBoston Medical CenterMontage Health
Best paying industryFinanceProfessional

Differences between substance abuse clinician and alcohol and drug counselor education

There are a few differences between a substance abuse clinician and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:

Substance Abuse ClinicianAlcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Substance abuse clinician vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between substance abuse clinicians' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

Substance Abuse ClinicianAlcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 29.2% Female, 70.8%Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between substance abuse clinician and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Substance abuse clinician example responsibilities.

  • Provide clinical assessments, psychotherapy, and case management for patients and clients recovering from mental health disorders and substance addiction.
  • Provide individual and group treatment and rehabilitation for youth diagnose with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
  • Provide all forms of intervention, from assessment to aftercare, to patients suffering with substance-relate, psychiatric and co-occurring disorders.
  • Facilitate psychoeducational and rehabilitation groups using standard group techniques.
  • Assess and treat elementary school students with articulation, language, and autism spectrum disorders under an apprenticeship model of supervision.
  • Assist team of professionals with developing ISP's, IEP's, and needs assessments to determine proper treatment.
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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.
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Substance abuse clinician vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common substance abuse clinician skills
  • Social Work, 30%
  • Substance Abuse Treatment, 11%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Substance USE Disorders, 4%
  • Community Resources, 3%
  • Clinical Assessments, 3%
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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