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The differences between child and family therapists and licensed professional 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 licensed professional counselor. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, which is higher than the $55,339 average annual salary of a child and family therapist.
The top three skills for a child and family therapist include social work, diagnosis and mental health. The most important skills for a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.
| Child And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,339 | $94,675 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 120,152 | 153,612 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| 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 licensed professional counselor is a healthcare professional who specializes in providing therapy and counseling to patients with emotional and mental health issues. They listen to their patients and utilize various techniques to address concerns and help through the healing procedures. Their duties entail conducting interviews and evaluations, performing research and assessments, studying the patients' medical histories, providing consultations, and developing treatment plans that suit every patients' needs. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor monitors and records their patients' progress, adjusting treatments and medications as necessary.
Child and family therapists and licensed professional counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,339 | $94,675 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $81,000 | Between $73,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County) | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a child and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between child and family therapists' and licensed professional counselors' demographics:
| Child And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| 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% |