Alcohol and drug counselors work directly with patients struggling with their addictions, but before you enter this profession, you may want to look at the average alcohol and drug counselor salary. You’ll also want to think about the duties of the job to get a look at some of the things you might do every day and take a look at the future of this profession too. Though you will need to go to college, many counselors like the idea of helping others in need.
Duties of the Job
A drug and alcohol counselor is someone who works with addicts on a daily basis. They offer treatments in the form of group and individual counseling sessions. In individual counseling sessions, they talk with addicts one-on-one to get an ideas of why they started using drugs and what they can do to overcome their addictions. Group therapy sessions allow those addicted to the same substances to talk about their struggles and get help from each other. As a counselor, you are responsible for creating a treatment plan for each patient. You might work in an inpatient facility or for an outpatient program.
Qualifications for the Job
The level of education that you need for one of these jobs depends on the facility in charge of hiring. You may accept a lower level job with just a high school diploma or an associate’s degree in applied health. Most facilities require that applicants have at least an undergraduate degree and some hands on experience such as an internship they did at a rehab center. Counselors who prescribe medications for addicts will need some type of medical degree.
Do You Need a License?
Though not all states require that alcohol and drug counselors have a license, it is mandatory in some states. The National Board for Certified Counselors is the main organization responsible for giving licenses to counselors. To get your license, you will need to have a college degree and a certain number of clinical or practical hours working in the field. That will qualify you to take the licensing examination. If you want to obtain your license, you will need to meet some additional requirements though. Applicants generally need a graduate degree and a minimum of 2,000 hours working under direct supervision. Some states will only give licenses to those who have 4,000 hours of working experience.
How Much Do They Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median alcohol and drug counselor salary is $39,270 a year or $18.88 an hour. Counselors may start out making a pay rate slightly higher than minimum wage but earn raises as they demonstrate their skills and gain more experience. Counselors receive job perks too in the form of paid time off and health insurance. The BLS found that the future outlook for this profession is high and that it will grow at a faster than average rate of 22%. This indicates the addition of more than 21,000 counseling jobs.
Drug and alcohol counselors work with patients to overcome their addictions, learn stress management techniques and discover that they do not need those substances. Though you may need a bachelor’s degree or a more advanced degree to work in this field, you’ll find that the median alcohol and drug counselor salary is fairly high.
