Clinical & Counseling Psychologists vs Substance Abuse Counselors
Median pay is about $41k higher for Clinical & Counseling Psychologists. Pay for Substance Abuse Counselors is not a BLS figure for that job alone; the table marks it. The usual entry education is doctoral for Clinical & Counseling Psychologists and bachelor's plus cert for Substance Abuse Counselors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Clinical & Counseling Psychologists | Substance Abuse Counselors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $100,580 | $59,350 BLS, related |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $73,210 | $47,100 BLS, related |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $135,200 | $76,530 BLS, related |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +12% Growing fast | +18% Growing fast BLS, related |
| Openings a year | 4,100 | 50,500 BLS, related |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Doctoral | Bachelor's plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 4.4 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 96th pct | 81st pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Clinical & Counseling Psychologists
- Active Learning
Only Substance Abuse Counselors
- Monitoring
Both lean on reading comprehension, active listening, writing, critical thinking, speaking.
More comparisons
Compare Clinical & Counseling Psychologists with
Compare Substance Abuse Counselors with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035), except the figures marked in the table. Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.