Substance abuse clinician vs primary counselor

The differences between substance abuse clinicians and primary 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 a primary counselor. Additionally, a substance abuse clinician has an average salary of $50,155, which is higher than the $44,580 average annual salary of a primary counselor.

The top three skills for a substance abuse clinician include social work, substance abuse treatment and patients. The most important skills for a primary counselor are group therapy sessions, mental health, and crisis intervention.

Substance abuse clinician vs primary counselor overview

	Substance Abuse Clinician	Primary Counselor
Yearly salary	$50,155	$44,580
Hourly rate	$24.11	$21.43
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	12,017	65,753
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Substance abuse clinician vs primary counselor salary

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

	Substance Abuse Clinician	Primary Counselor
Average salary	$50,155	$44,580
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $68,000	Between $31,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Danbury, CT	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Boston Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between substance abuse clinician and primary counselor education

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

	Substance Abuse Clinician	Primary Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Hunter College of the City University of New York

Substance abuse clinician vs primary counselor demographics

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

	Substance Abuse Clinician	Primary Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
Race ratio	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%	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	12%	12%

Differences between substance abuse clinician and primary 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.

Primary counselor example responsibilities.

Coordinate individual client treatment plans to achieve individual and department rehabilitation goals.
Conduct intake screenings and assessment for treatment entry and appropriateness per ASAM criteria.
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans base on patient needs and ASAM criteria.
Maintain accurate and complete chart documentation regarding patient attitude and progress in the rehabilitation process following program protocols.
Facilitate group activities, arrange for outside recovery-orient NA/AA meetings, and provide a safe environment for recovering patients.
Facilitate substance abuse group counseling sessions to assist patients in recognizing causal factors of substance abuse and in developing coping behaviors.

Substance abuse clinician vs primary 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 primary counselor skills

Group Therapy Sessions, 10%
Mental Health, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 10%
Patients, 8%
Intake Assessments, 8%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 8%

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Substance Abuse Clinician
Substance Abuse Clinician vs Primary Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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