Certified lactation counselor vs clinical counselor

The differences between certified lactation counselors and clinical 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 certified lactation counselor and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $45,044 average annual salary of a certified lactation counselor.

The top three skills for a certified lactation counselor include infant care, WIC and nutrition education. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Certified lactation counselor vs clinical counselor overview

	Certified Lactation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$45,044	$54,191
Hourly rate	$21.66	$26.05
Growth rate	12%	17%
Number of jobs	61,633	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Certified lactation counselor vs clinical counselor salary

Certified lactation counselors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Lactation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$45,044	$54,191
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $61,000	Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between certified lactation counselor and clinical counselor education

There are a few differences between a certified lactation counselor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:

	Certified Lactation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Certified lactation counselor vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between certified lactation counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:

	Certified Lactation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 3.4% Female, 96.6%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between certified lactation counselor and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Certified lactation counselor example responsibilities.

Provide individual student planning to assist expulsion students in fulfilling their rehabilitation plan and re-entering the comprehensive school setting.
Help develop and maintain Aveda standards and educational requirements.

Clinical counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
Initial assessment, diagnosis, ASAM criteria, treatment planning , 3rd party contact, group and individual therapy.
Maintain appropriate documentation per NYS OASAS regulations and APG guidelines

Certified lactation counselor vs clinical counselor skills

Common certified lactation counselor skills

Infant Care, 16%
WIC, 13%
Nutrition Education, 10%
Clinical Management, 10%
Emotional Support, 7%
Patient Care, 7%

Common clinical counselor skills

Social Work, 36%
Patients, 8%
Foster Care, 7%
Independent Living, 6%
Child Abuse, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Certified Lactation Counselor
Certified Lactation Counselor vs Clinical Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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