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The differences between child psychologists and behavioral therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a child psychologist, becoming a behavioral therapist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a child psychologist has an average salary of $78,743, which is higher than the $37,881 average annual salary of a behavioral therapist.
The top three skills for a child psychologist include autism, mental health and family therapy. The most important skills for a behavioral therapist are autism, social work, and behavior analysis.
| Child Psychologist | Behavioral Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $78,743 | $37,881 |
| Hourly rate | $37.86 | $18.21 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 22,815 | 91,976 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Child Psychologists evaluate and treat adolescents and children. They help children to cope with stresses such as school or family transitions, deaths, and divorces. Their clients may include children with different developmental issues, from learning disabilities to severe mental illness. A partial list of problems they treat has autism, obsessive-compulsive order, attention deficit disorder, adjustment disorder, and phobias. Their job is to endorse the best diagnosis to a complex set of symptoms presented. Moreover, a Clinical Child Psychologist is considered a health service provider.
A behavioral therapist is responsible for supporting patients with various developmental disorders and behavioral difficulties. Behavioral therapists conduct counseling to the patients, identifying their personal and social challenges, and administering treatment plans to modify unusual behaviors. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to plan activities and therapy sessions for patients' needs. A behavioral therapist maintains a record of the patients' progress, help them on developing social engagement, and adjust treatment strategies depending on the patients' noticeable changes.
Child psychologists and behavioral therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Psychologist | Behavioral Therapist | |
| Average salary | $78,743 | $37,881 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $114,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | George C. Grape Community Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a child psychologist and a behavioral therapist in terms of educational background:
| Child Psychologist | Behavioral Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between child psychologists' and behavioral therapists' demographics:
| Child Psychologist | Behavioral Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |