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The differences between child psychologists and occupational 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 an occupational therapist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a child psychologist has an average salary of $78,743, which is higher than the $75,707 average annual salary of an occupational therapist.
The top three skills for a child psychologist include autism, mental health and family therapy. The most important skills for an occupational therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Child Psychologist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $78,743 | $75,707 |
| Hourly rate | $37.86 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 22,815 | 78,315 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
An occupational therapist specializes in treating patients who are recovering from illnesses or disabilities to help them adapt and overcome the physical and mental difficulties they face in their daily lives. The responsibilities of an occupational therapist revolve around examining a patient's medical history and conducting different kinds of assessments to determine what type of treatment a patient should receive. Furthermore, an occupational therapist must build rapport with a patient to make them feel at ease and coordinate with their guardian or family to discuss the recommended ways to help the patient adjust and recuperate.
Child psychologists and occupational therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Psychologist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average salary | $78,743 | $75,707 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $114,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Salinas, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Waters |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a child psychologist and an occupational therapist in terms of educational background:
| Child Psychologist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Occupational Therapy |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between child psychologists' and occupational therapists' demographics:
| Child Psychologist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 14% |