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The differences between behavior therapists and residential 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 residential counselor. Additionally, a behavior therapist has an average salary of $36,864, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a behavior therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Behavior Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,864 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $17.72 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 90,578 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Behavior therapists and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavior Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $36,864 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alabama | Washington |
| Best paying company | Regis College | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a behavior therapist and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Behavior Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between behavior therapists' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Behavior Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |