Careers in Addiction and Recovery

Can you see yourself in an addiction and recovery career? You may be already working in the field and are curious about how you can progress your career.

Many are drawn to working in the field of addiction and recovery in part because it allows them to help facilitate people making positive changes in their own lives.

Plus, the field is growing quickly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors will grow by 19% from 2023 to 2023, which is much faster than the average rate of 4% job growth across all occupations.

In this guide, you can learn more about various careers in the field of addiction and recovery, including information about job duties, education requirements, job outlook, and earning potential.

Here is a list of addiction and recovery careers, along with details about skills required and work environments, with education requirements and salary data from the BLS as of May 2023:

As a health education specialist, you’d analyze data and develop programs to teach people about and reduce health problems like the opioid epidemic and infant fatality. These professionals primarily work in government, ambulatory healthcare services, and hospitals.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in health education or a related health field, though some employers may accept a degree in social sciences like psychology.

Probation officers, also known as correction treatment specialists, work primarily in local and state government. They help people who have been charged with crimes restore their lives.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or social sciences such as psychology to work as a probation officer.

As a psychiatric technician or aide, you’d assist medical professionals in treating people with mental health conditions and other disabilities. You’ll likely work in state or private psychiatric hospitals or state government. Many of these professionals work in outpatient and residential mental health facilities.

You’ll need at least a high school diploma or GED diploma, although a college degree (associate or bachelor’s) can increase your job opportunities. Employers also often require a postsecondary certificate in a related field

As a psychologist, you’d study the mental processes behind human behavior to help improve human wellness. You can work in clinics, schools, government, hospitals, and even corporations.

You’ll need a Ph.D. or Psy.D. to work as a clinical or counseling psychologist. However, you may be able to work as an industrial-organizational psychologist with just a master’s degree in psychology.

As a rehabilitation counselor, you’ll help rehabilitate people with disabilities to navigate life and employment. These professionals typically work in public assistance services, state government, and nursing and residential care facilities.

To qualify for this position, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in health, psychology, social sciences, or a related field. However, many employers also prefer or require a master’s degree in rehabilitative counseling or psychology.

Social workers help people navigate everyday issues by connecting them to public resources such as food, housing, and financial assistance. Common work environments for social workers include local and state government and community and vocational rehabilitation services.

You can gain the necessary skills to work as a nonclinical social worker by earning a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). If you want to work in a clinical setting, however, you’ll also need a master’s degree in social work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program.

It’s worth noting though, that your bachelor’s degree does not have to be in social work in order to enter an MSW program, as a major in a related field like psychology, social sciences, or public policy and social services may be acceptable.

Substance use counselors, also known as addiction and recovery counselors, diagnose and treat addiction in the patients they serve. These professionals typically work in outpatient and residential substance use centers, hospitals, and private practice.

Substance use counselors typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social sciences, or public policy and social services. However, some employers may require only a high school diploma, while others may require a master’s degree in psychology or counseling. Additionally, different states have different requirements, so be sure to check with your local chemical dependency board for more information.

Peer support specialists are professionals who have experience with one or more psychiatric disorders, are often in recovery themselves, and are trained to help or counsel other individuals with those conditions. Counted among the group of “community health workers” by the BLS, they may also serve as part of a support team that may include other healthcare professionals such as social workers and psychologists. Common work environments include inpatient facilities, primary care offices, emergency rooms, and recovery centers, though they may also interact with patients online or over the phone.

While there are generally no specific requirements to become a peer support specialist, you typically need at least a high school diploma or GED diploma and certification from a peer support specialist program, as well as experience with the specific condition for which you are seeking to provide support.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Careers in addiction and recovery encompass a wide variety of roles, including substance use counselors, health education specialists, and psychologists.

The BLS projects employment for these roles to grow from 2% to 19% between 2023 and 2023, depending on the role, with employment for substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors growing the fastest at a rate of 19%.

Rehabilitation counselors’ employment is projected to grow the slowest of these roles at 2% from 2023 to 2033, while psychologists, health education specialists, and social workers share the same projected job growth rate of 7%. By contrast, the national average projected job growth rate for all occupations during this same time period is 4%.

The faster-than-average projected growth rate of many of these roles reflects an increased demand for addiction recovery services.

The roles you can pursue in addiction recovery depend, in large part, on your education level. The more education you have, the more advanced roles you can pursue. For example, you can work in entry-level roles such as social and human service assistant or community health worker with an associate degree.

With a bachelor’s degree, however, you can work as a health education specialist, which pays much more. Earning a master’s degree allows you to pursue more advanced roles, such as rehabilitation counselor or industrial-organizational psychologist.

If you dream of teaching psychology in a college or university, you’ll need to earn a doctoral degree, such as a Ph.D. or Psy.D. This terminal degree will also allow you to work as a clinical or counseling psychologist.