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Drug and Alcohol Counsellor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a drug and alcohol counsellor is $87,900 per annum, before tax, up $18,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the award or enterprise agreement of the employer, so a counsellor in a state health service or a correctional facility can earn more than one in a small community organisation.
- Penalty rates, on-call arrangements and remote or regional loadings add to the base in some services, and team leader or senior clinical roles sit above the figure shown here.
- Qualifications count as well, because a recognised degree and professional membership open up the higher classified positions.
The median salary rose by $18,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than drug and alcohol counsellor
The largest typical pay rise is $24,100 a year, moving into Counsellor.
- Counsellor+$24,100/yr
- Family Violence Practitioner+$3,100/yr
- Psychotherapist+$500/yr
How to negotiate a higher drug and alcohol counsellor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time drug and alcohol counsellor salary is $87,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Counselling and support work and Casework and client support tend to command a premium over general drug and alcohol counsellor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Counsellor pays a typical $24,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Drug and Alcohol Counsellor salary questions
How much do drug and alcohol counsellors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a drug and alcohol counsellor is $87,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is drug and alcohol counsellor pay rising or falling?
The median drug and alcohol counsellor salary is up $18,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than drug and alcohol counsellor?
Counsellor pays a typical $24,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to drug and alcohol counsellor.
Related salaries
- Family Violence Practitioner salary
- Counsellor salary
- Family and Relationship Counsellor salary
- Psychotherapist salary
- Welfare Worker salary
- Youth Justice Worker salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.