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The differences between substance abuse technicians and mental health clinicians 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 mental health clinician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health clinician has an average salary of $54,359, 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 mental health clinician are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,408 | $54,359 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,710 | 91,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| 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 Mental Health Clinician provides psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation services for patients with mental health problems. They manage the treatment of clients and help them to obtain stable physical health.
Substance abuse technicians and mental health clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average salary | $35,408 | $54,359 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kingman, AZ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Sea Mar Community Health Centers | City and County of Denver Government |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Education |
There are a few differences between a substance abuse technician and a mental health clinician in terms of educational background:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| 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 mental health clinicians' demographics:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 15% |