Behavior therapist vs family counselor

The differences between behavior therapists and family counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a behavior therapist and a family counselor. Additionally, a family counselor has an average salary of $41,510, which is higher than the $36,864 average annual salary of a behavior therapist.

The top three skills for a behavior therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Behavior therapist vs family counselor overview

	Behavior Therapist	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,864	$41,510
Hourly rate	$17.72	$19.96
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	90,578	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a behavior therapist do?

A behavior therapist is an individual psychologist who is responsible for helping patients with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Behavior therapists must equip patients with psychological tools to help them diminish unhealthy thoughts so that they can effectively deal with the challenges of their daily lives. They are required to devise problem-solving methods such as psychotherapy and counseling to help patients improve their quality of life. Behavior therapists must also collaborate with the families of their patients to help them overcome behavioral issues more effectively.

What does a family counselor do?

A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.

Behavior therapist vs family counselor salary

Behavior therapists and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Behavior Therapist	Family Counselor
Average salary	$36,864	$41,510
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alabama	New York
Best paying company	Regis College	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between behavior therapist and family counselor education

There are a few differences between a behavior therapist and a family counselor in terms of educational background:

	Behavior Therapist	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Behavior therapist vs family counselor demographics

Here are the differences between behavior therapists' and family counselors' demographics:

	Behavior Therapist	Family Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between behavior therapist and family counselor duties and responsibilities

Behavior therapist example responsibilities.

Teach family members and teachers different ways to achieve cooperation with child and transfer skills to ensure an efficient learning environment.
Provide applied behavior analysis services to individuals diagnose with autism and other developmental disabilities to enhance their quality of life.
Provide basic parent education of correct implementation of ABA principles.
Provide one-on-one aba-base treatment to children who have been diagnose with autism and other developmental disorders.
Solve certify as well as first aid and CPR certify.
Complete all requirements need to be certify as an RBT.

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Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

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Behavior therapist vs family counselor skills

Common behavior therapist skills

Autism, 19%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 18%
Behavior Analysis, 10%
Autism Spectrum Disorder, 7%
Behavior Analysts, 5%
BCBA, 4%

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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