Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between substance abuse technicians and social workers 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 social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, 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 social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $35,408 | $50,102 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $24.09 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,710 | 77,340 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.
Substance abuse technicians and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substance Abuse Technician | Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $35,408 | $50,102 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kingman, AZ | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Sea Mar Community Health Centers | Health Advocates |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a substance abuse technician and a social worker in terms of educational background:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between substance abuse technicians' and social workers' demographics:
| Substance Abuse Technician | Social Worker | |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| 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, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 13% |