Certified rehabilitation counselor vs clinical counselor

The differences between certified rehabilitation counselors and clinical counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a certified rehabilitation counselor, becoming a clinical counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $42,200 average annual salary of a certified rehabilitation counselor.

The top three skills for a certified rehabilitation counselor include rehabilitation, CRC and behavioral health. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Certified rehabilitation counselor vs clinical counselor overview

	Certified Rehabilitation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$42,200	$54,191
Hourly rate	$20.29	$26.05
Growth rate	11%	17%
Number of jobs	62,803	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	12	4

Certified rehabilitation counselor vs clinical counselor salary

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

	Certified Rehabilitation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$42,200	$54,191
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $55,000	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 rehabilitation counselor and clinical counselor education

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

	Certified Rehabilitation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Rehabilitation Science	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Certified rehabilitation counselor vs clinical counselor demographics

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

	Certified Rehabilitation Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	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	21%	15%

Differences between certified rehabilitation counselor and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Certified rehabilitation counselor example responsibilities.

Collaborate with institutions of higher learning and local organizations to help assign veterans achieve independent living and academic success.
Authorize and coordinate rehabilitation services and developing work plans, providing vocational counseling rehabilitative assessment and placement of individuals with disabilities.
Complete referral application using rehabilitation technology.
Complete referral application using rehabilitation technology.

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 rehabilitation counselor vs clinical counselor skills

Common certified rehabilitation counselor skills

Rehabilitation, 49%
CRC, 32%
Behavioral Health, 9%
Vocational Assessments, 5%
Vocational Rehabilitation, 1%
Assess Client, 1%

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 Rehabilitation Counselor
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor vs Clinical Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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