Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
Human ServicesO*NET 21-1011.00United States
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
- Median annual earnings
- $60,137
- Projected change
- +22.2%
- Typical education
- Master's or Professional degree
- Employment
- 546.77K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
49.6% of the workforce
Growing to 668.23K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Assess individuals' degree of drug dependency by collecting and analyzing urine samples.
- Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions.
- Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments.
- Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
- Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
- Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status.
- Coordinate activities with courts, probation officers, community services, or other post-treatment agencies.
- Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers.
- Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.
- Interview clients, review records, and confer with other professionals to evaluate individuals' mental and physical condition and to determine their suitability for participation in a specific program.
- Intervene as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
- Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.
- Instruct others in program methods, procedures, or functions.
- Participate in case conferences or staff meetings.
- Provide clients or family members with information about addiction issues and about available services or programs, making appropriate referrals when necessary.
- Act as liaisons between clients and medical staff.
- Train or supervise student interns or new staff members.
- Counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting clients or patients.
- Confer with family members or others close to clients to keep them informed of treatment planning and progress.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate public education, prevention, or health promotion programs, working in collaboration with organizations, institutions, or communities.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $38,037
- 25th percentile
- $46,986
- 50th percentile
- $60,137
- 75th percentile
- $78,781
- 90th percentile
- $103,446
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $60,137 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+22.2%much faster than average
2025546,773 jobs
2035 projected668,229 jobs
121,456 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Master's or Professional degree
- 49.6%
- High school diploma or less
- 23.7%
- Associate degree
- 23.7%
- Bachelor's degree
- 3.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Substance Abuse Counselors2,257 postings
- 02Substance Use Counselors879 postings
- 03Counselors437 postings
- 04Alcohol and Drug Counselors427 postings
- 05Substance Use Disorder Counselors354 postings
- 06Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors265 postings
- 07Certified Substance Abuse Counselors239 postings
- 08Addictions Counselors187 postings
- 09Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors171 postings
- 10Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors141 postings
- 11Substance Abuse Therapists129 postings
- 12Drug and Alcohol Therapists98 postings
- 13Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors96 postings
- 14Therapists90 postings
- 15Group Facilitators78 postings
- 16Outpatient Counselors78 postings
- 17Substance Abuse Specialists72 postings
- 18Chemical Dependency Counselors67 postings
- 19Outpatient Substance Abuse Counselors63 postings
- 20Addiction Therapists58 postings
Top employers
- 01Acadia Healthcare291 postings
- 02BayMark Health Services207 postings
- 03New Season170 postings
- 04Gateway Foundation161 postings
- 05Management & Training Corporation138 postings
- 06GEO Group114 postings
- 07Behavioral Health Group100 postings
- 08Pinnacle Treatment Centers86 postings
- 09Community Medical Services81 postings
- 10Crossroads Treatment Centers79 postings
- 11Avenues Recovery71 postings
- 12Baart Programs54 postings
- 13Medmark Treatment Centers47 postings
- 14Mental Health Systems47 postings
- 15Sage Counseling47 postings
- 16Uhs41 postings
- 17Pyramid Healthcare37 postings
- 18State Of Texas37 postings
- 19Merakey36 postings
- 20Cenikor33 postings
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