Saratoga Medical Center logo
Saratoga Medical Center
Portsmouth, Virginia

Substance Abuse Counselor

Addiction CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 5mo ago

Job Description

Saratoga Medical has a wonderful opportunity and a full time opening for a Substance Abuse Counselor at Portsmouth Naval Base, VA. Saratoga has been helping the US military find qualified health professionals for well over 30 years. We offer a competitive salary, PTO and paid holidays. Relocating? Please inquire about our relocation assistance. What a great opportunity to support your military and their families.

Qualifications Include

*Associates of Arts degree in Behavioral Science with specialized training in Substance Abuse and Chemical Dependency treatment

*Minimum of 1-year full time experience as Substance Abuse Counselor in a Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program

*National Certification

*Current, full, active and unrestricted license to practice as Certified Addictions Counselor

*BLS

I would love to have the opportunity to speak to you further about this position and I hope it will be a good fit for you! Please contact me for more information or for any questions you may have. Thank you!

Saratoga Medical Center, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, discharge, compensation or any other term or condition of employment on the basis of race, religion, color, age (over age 39), sex, national origin, or on the basis of disability if the employee can perform the essential functions of the job, with a reasonable accommodation if necessary.

Key Responsibilities

Provide substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment to US military members and their families. Work within a rehabilitation program to support patient recovery and wellness.

Requirements

Requires an Associate of Arts degree in Behavioral Science and at least one year of full-time experience in a substance abuse rehabilitation program. Must hold a national certification, a current unrestricted license as a Certified Addictions Counselor, and BLS certification.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Substance Abuse CounselingCrisis InterventionPatient Rehabilitation

Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 36% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Substance Use / Addiction Counselor jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.6 / 10 · top 25% in substance use / addiction counselorranked against 1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedSubstance Use / Addiction Counselor median $59k (middle half $57k–$66k)11 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingVirginia index 101.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Addiction Medicine listings in Virginia39 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All substance use / addiction counselor listings in Virginia416 active12,780 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 50% remote · 36% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia counselor listings (all specialties): 16% state a sign-on bonus (median $2k) · 13% offer loan repayment416 active listings, Nov 2026
New Addiction Medicine listings422 in the last 30 days230 the 30 days before (+83%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,008 Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. Virginia figures use all substance use / addiction counselors: too few Virginia Addiction Medicine postings state pay.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Substance Abuse Counselor at Saratoga Medical Center a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Substance Use / Addiction Counselor — ranked against 1,008 active Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

47 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

46 jobs · 39 employers
17
<$80k
7
$80k-100k
9
$100k-120k
10
$120k-140k
3
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

35 jobs
401k / retirement match
91%
CME allowance
34%
Sign-on bonus
29%
Loan repayment
23%
PSLF eligible
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Therapist (Licensed) (Bilingual)

Arlington County Government · Arlington, Virginia

$96k-$149k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

Mental Health Clinician (LCSW or LMFT), Suicide Risk and Assessment (ASSIST Program)

$59.42-$66.62/hr
+ 45 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Substance Use / Addiction Counselor listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,008 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Saratoga Medical Center logo

About Saratoga Medical Center

Hospitals and Health Care
Fairfax, VA
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Paid Time Off
Paid Holidays
Relocation Assistance

Living in Portsmouth

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$268k
Typical market rent
$1,642/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.