Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between behavioral therapists and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a behavioral therapist, becoming a residential counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a behavioral therapist has an average salary of $37,881, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a behavioral therapist include autism, social work and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Behavioral Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $37,881 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $18.21 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 91,976 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A behavioral therapist is responsible for supporting patients with various developmental disorders and behavioral difficulties. Behavioral therapists conduct counseling to the patients, identifying their personal and social challenges, and administering treatment plans to modify unusual behaviors. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to plan activities and therapy sessions for patients' needs. A behavioral therapist maintains a record of the patients' progress, help them on developing social engagement, and adjust treatment strategies depending on the patients' noticeable changes.
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.
Behavioral therapists and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $37,881 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $51,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | George C. Grape Community Hospital | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Education |
There are a few differences between a behavioral therapist and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | 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 behavioral therapists' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Behavioral Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 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 | 12% | 15% |