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The differences between child and family therapists and child care 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 child and family therapist and a child care counselor. Additionally, a child and family therapist has an average salary of $55,339, which is higher than the $36,843 average annual salary of a child care counselor.
The top three skills for a child and family therapist include social work, diagnosis and mental health. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.
| Child And Family Therapist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,339 | $36,843 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $17.71 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 120,152 | 100,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| 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.
Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.
Child and family therapists and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child And Family Therapist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,339 | $36,843 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $81,000 | Between $28,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) | Washington State University |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a child and family therapist and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child And Family Therapist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between child and family therapists' and child care counselors' demographics:
| Child And Family Therapist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |