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The differences between child and family therapists 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 child and family therapist and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a child and family therapist has an average salary of $55,339, which is higher than the $54,191 average annual salary of a clinical counselor.
The top three skills for a child and family therapist include social work, diagnosis and mental health. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Child And Family Therapist | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,339 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 120,152 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 Clinical Counselor interviews clients to assess their mental health and behavioral problems. They examine issues such as substance abuse, depression, stress, aging and self-image.
Child and family therapists and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child And Family Therapist | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,339 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $81,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a child and family therapist and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child And Family Therapist | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 clinical counselors' demographics:
| Child And Family Therapist | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 15% |