Substance Abuse Counselors vs Crisis Counselors
Median pay is about the same for both. Pay for Substance Abuse Counselors and Crisis Counselors is not a BLS figure for that job alone; the table marks it. Both usually start with the same education: bachelor's plus cert.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Substance Abuse Counselors | Crisis Counselors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $59,350 BLS, related | $59,350 BLS, related |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $47,100 BLS, related | $47,100 BLS, related |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $76,530 BLS, related | $76,530 BLS, related |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +18% Growing fast BLS, related | +18% Growing fast BLS, related |
| Openings a year | 50,500 BLS, related | 50,500 BLS, related |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Bachelor's plus cert | Bachelor's plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.2 / 5 | 2.8 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 81st pct | 96th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Substance Abuse Counselors
- Monitoring
Only Crisis Counselors
- Active Learning
Both lean on active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing.
More comparisons
Compare Substance Abuse Counselors with
Compare Crisis 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.