Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
Overview
Introduction
Alcohol and drug abuse counselors (sometimes called substance abuse counselors) work with people who abuse or are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Through individual and group counseling sessions, they help their clients understand and change their destructive substance abuse behaviors. Approximately 397,880 substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors are employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries of alcohol and drug abuse counselors depend on their education level, amount of experience, and place of employment. Generally, the more education and experience a counselor has, the higher his or her earnings will be. Alcohol and drug abuse counselors earned a median annual salary of $53,710 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The lowest 10 percent earned less than...
Work Environment
The hours that an alcohol and drug abuse counselor works depend upon where he or she is employed. Many residential treatment facilities and mental health centers—and all crisis centers—have counselors on duty during evening and weekend hours. Other employers, such as government agencies and universities, are likely to have more conventional working hours.
Work settings for counselors als...
Outlook
Employment of alcohol and drug abuse counselors is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More people were seeking treatment for both mental health problems and addiction issues during the mid-2020s, and counselors were needed to satisfy this demand.
Many factors are fueling demand for counselors. Accord...
