Substance abuse technician vs technician

The differences between substance abuse technicians and technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, 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 technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Substance abuse technician vs technician overview

	Substance Abuse Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$35,408	$38,045
Hourly rate	$17.02	$18.29
Growth rate	4%	1%
Number of jobs	90,710	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	39	40
Years of experience	6	2

What does a substance abuse technician do?

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.

What does a technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Substance abuse technician vs technician salary

Substance abuse technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Substance Abuse Technician	Technician
Average salary	$35,408	$38,045
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $49,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Kingman, AZ	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Sea Mar Community Health Centers	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Telecommunication

Differences between substance abuse technician and technician education

There are a few differences between a substance abuse technician and a technician in terms of educational background:

	Substance Abuse Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	-

Substance abuse technician vs technician demographics

Here are the differences between substance abuse technicians' and technicians' demographics:

	Substance Abuse Technician	Technician
Average age	39	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	2%

Differences between substance abuse technician and technician duties and responsibilities

Substance abuse technician example responsibilities.

Work with outside counsel to develop patent and trademark portfolio and manage patent litigation.
Coordinate community base services, identifies high-risk patients, veterans and provides case management and crisis intervention services.
Provide care to chemically dependent patients in short-term social model detox program working directly with patients/families in all areas of recovery.
Collect sample for DNA testing.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Maintain the integrity of all specimens under DOT/non-DOT guidelines.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Substance abuse technician vs technician skills

Common substance abuse technician skills

Substance Abuse Treatment, 16%
Patients, 13%
Mental Health, 10%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Client Transportation, 5%

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

Substance Abuse Technician vs. similar jobs

Substance Abuse Technician related careers

Substance Abuse Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Substance Abuse Technician
Substance Abuse Technician vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs