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The differences between substance abuse technicians and community health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a substance abuse technician, becoming a community health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a community health counselor has an average salary of $43,304, which is higher than the $35,408 average annual salary of a substance abuse technician.
The top three skills for a substance abuse technician include substance abuse treatment, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Community Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,408 | $43,304 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $20.82 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,710 | 131,804 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A substance abuse technician works at facilities that aim to support the treatment of clients suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other interfering behavior. They work alongside counselors and fellow technicians in the joint effort to implement rehabilitation programs and help patients reach their journey to sobriety. Moreover, a substance abuse technician develops and coordinates treatment plans with health care professionals, conducts research and assessments, administers medications according to protocols, and monitors the patients' progress throughout the rehabilitation processes.
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
Substance abuse technicians and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $35,408 | $43,304 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $29,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kingman, AZ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Sea Mar Community Health Centers | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a substance abuse technician and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Community Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between substance abuse technicians' and community health counselors' demographics:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 15% |