Community and Social Service · Holland code SIC
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
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.
Also called: Addictions Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor (CD Counselor), Counselor, SA Counselor (Substance Abuse Counselor), CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor), Case Manager, Chemical Dependency Professional, Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist (DATS).
O*NET 21-1011.00
At a glance
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Attend training sessions to increase knowledge and skills.
- Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
- Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
- Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
- Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharged from treatment programs.
- Intervene as an advocate for clients or patients to resolve emergency problems in crisis situations.
- Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening4.3 / 5
- Speaking4.1 / 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
- Writing4.0 / 5
- Monitoring4.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Therapy and Counseling4.7 / 5
- Psychology4.7 / 5
- English Language4.3 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service4.0 / 5
- Sociology and Anthropology3.8 / 5
- Education and Training3.7 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic10
- Investigative47
- Artistic26
- Social94
- Enterprising28
- Conventional36
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- social counsellor · DE Sozialberater/Sozialberaterin · FR assistant de service social/assistante de service social
- drug and alcohol addiction counsellor · DE Sucht- und Drogenberater/Sucht- und Drogenberaterin · FR addictologue
- family planning counsellor · DE Familienplanungsberater/Familienplanungsberaterin · FR chargé d’information de planning familial/chargée d’information de planning familial
- marriage counsellor · DE Ehe- und Familienberater/Ehe- und Familienberaterin · FR conseiller conjugal/conseillère conjugale
- sexual violence counsellor · DE Berater bei sexueller Gewalt/Beraterin bei sexueller Gewalt · FR professionnel de l’aide aux victimes de violences sexuelles/professionnelle de l’aide aux victimes de violences sexuelles
- probation officer · DE Bewährungshelfer/Bewährungshelferin · FR agent de probation/agente de probation
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Social workers (2461)139,800 employed
- Probation officers (2462)11,900 employed
- Youth work professionals (2464)10,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €61,714 |
| Germany | €59,529 |
| Ireland | €56,877 |
| Austria | €55,374 |
| Netherlands | €53,595 |
| Sweden | €43,567 |
| France | €41,515 |
| Spain | €35,735 |
| Italy | €33,649 |
| Portugal | €26,072 |
| Poland | €14,380 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.03. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (21-1011).
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
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