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The differences between substance abuse technicians and mental health consultants 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 consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health consultant has an average salary of $51,006, 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 consultant are healthcare, substance abuse, and patients.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,408 | $51,006 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,710 | 127,233 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| 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 consultant is responsible for providing counseling and emotional support to manage a client's issue and control behaviors. Mental health consultants must have excellent communication and listening skills to understand and assess the client's situation and evaluate the level of their emotional and psychological distress. They also need to monitor progress on the client's state and use different psychotherapy methods and treatment plans. A mental health consultant should also reach out to other health professionals to ask assistance for any recovery options as needed.
Substance abuse technicians and mental health consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average salary | $35,408 | $51,006 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kingman, AZ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Sea Mar Community Health Centers | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a substance abuse technician and a mental health consultant in terms of educational background:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between substance abuse technicians' and mental health consultants' demographics:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| 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% |