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Behavioral specialist vs psychologist

The differences between behavioral specialists and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.

The top three skills for a behavioral specialist include mental health, autism and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

Behavioral specialist vs psychologist overview

Behavioral SpecialistPsychologist
Yearly salary$42,029$97,803
Hourly rate$20.21$47.02
Growth rate12%6%
Number of jobs74,96812,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age3947
Years of experience6-

What does a behavioral specialist do?

A behavioral specialist is a psychological expert providing guidance and counseling to people who have behavioral issues affecting their abilities to learn and socialize with other people. Behavioral specialists assess the level of patients' behavior and make treatment plans to help them cope. They monitor the patient's progress and keep treatment reports, improving or adjusting treatment plans as needed. They also communicate with the patients' family and friends for treatment support, as well as coordinate with other health professionals for additional assistance.

What does a psychologist do?

Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.

Behavioral specialist vs psychologist salary

Behavioral specialists and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Behavioral SpecialistPsychologist
Average salary$42,029$97,803
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $61,000Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CityAnchorage, AKSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyBarbarianSierra Corporation
Best paying industryProfessionalHealth Care

Differences between behavioral specialist and psychologist education

There are a few differences between a behavioral specialist and a psychologist in terms of educational background:

Behavioral SpecialistPsychologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachNorthwestern University

Behavioral specialist vs psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between behavioral specialists' and psychologists' demographics:

Behavioral SpecialistPsychologist
Average age3947
Gender ratioMale, 33.3% Female, 66.7%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage12%20%

Differences between behavioral specialist and psychologist duties and responsibilities

Behavioral specialist example responsibilities.

  • Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
  • Implement a CPR training program for 20 staff serving 50 clients with mental illness.
  • Guide student achievement according to district's math content standards, utilizing identify needs information.
  • Assist children with autism or other developmental disabilities with activities and therapeutic socialization to improve social skills and academic performance.
  • Attend ETR meetings and provide input on students.
  • Sanitize toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
  • Show more

Psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
  • Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
  • Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
  • Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
  • Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.
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Behavioral specialist vs psychologist skills

Common behavioral specialist skills
  • Mental Health, 10%
  • Autism, 10%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Social Work, 6%
Common psychologist skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
  • Clinical Supervision, 5%
  • APA, 4%

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