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The differences between child and family therapists and behavior therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a child and family therapist and a behavior therapist. Additionally, a child and family therapist has an average salary of $55,339, which is higher than the $36,864 average annual salary of a behavior therapist.
The top three skills for a child and family therapist include social work, diagnosis and mental health. The most important skills for a behavior therapist are autism, applied behavior analysis, and behavior analysis.
| Child And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,339 | $36,864 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $17.72 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 120,152 | 90,578 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Child and family therapists are therapists who specialize in treating traumatized children due to neglect or abuse. They always formulate various techniques and activities to treat their patients and help improve the affected family's quality of living while maintaining confidentiality and following HIPAA laws and agency policies and procedures. During treatment, they monitor the progress of their patients and adjust the treatment accordingly. They also train youth counselors to maintain open communication with their families to know the cause and resolve problems faster.
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.
Child and family therapists and behavior therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Average salary | $55,339 | $36,864 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $81,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alabama |
| Best paying company | Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) | Regis College |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a child and family therapist and a behavior therapist in terms of educational background:
| Child And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between child and family therapists' and behavior therapists' demographics:
| Child And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |