Pays $25-$26/hr — $17k below the Counselor market median of ~$71k (37 jobs)
About the Role
Substance use counseling. $25-$26/hr. Veterans encouraged. California.
Join Acadia as a Substance Use Counselor – $25-26/hr, Veterans Encouraged in California, United States. VETERANS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY PURPOSE STATEMENT: Provide treatment and support to assist patients in their recovery from substance use, eating disorders or other behavioral problems.
Benefits & Compensation
- Pay rate: $25/hr - $26/hr.
Work Schedule
- Full-Time position.
- No explicit call, weekend, or night shift information provided.
Apply to join Acadia as a Substance Use Counselor – $25-26/hr, Veterans Encouraged.
Key Responsibilities
Provide treatment and support to assist patients in their recovery from substance use and behavioral problems. Conduct group sessions, prepare treatment plans, and ensure accurate documentation of patient care.
Requirements
Requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with a bachelor's degree in a social or health services field preferred. Candidates must hold or be eligible for state counseling certification and pass a motor vehicle record clearance.
Qualifications
- Education
- Bachelor degree
Certifications
Key Skills
Addiction Medicine — Counselor Career Context
Of the 50 active Addiction Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 12% have no call, 54% require no weekends.
In California, the Addiction Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$63k (194 salary observations; 282 listings), vs ~$62k nationally (1,399 salary observations; 3,570 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$53k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $48k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Addiction Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).
Position Insights
AI ANALYSISThis role scores 3.0/10 on work-life balance for Counselor roles.
Career trajectory: This position offers advancement within 2-3 years. The compensation analysis shows this employer pays...
Benefits analysis: Compared to 37 similar roles, this listing's benefits package ranks...
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