Clinical psychologist vs licensed professional counselor

The differences between clinical psychologists and licensed professional counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical psychologist, becoming a licensed professional counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $94,675 average annual salary of a licensed professional counselor.

The top three skills for a clinical psychologist include patients, rehabilitation and clinical psychology. The most important skills for a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed professional counselor overview

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Professional Counselor
Yearly salary	$97,659	$94,675
Hourly rate	$46.95	$45.52
Growth rate	14%	6%
Number of jobs	69,762	153,612
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	43	41
Years of experience	2	4

What does a clinical psychologist do?

A clinical psychologist is a healthcare professional who treats patients with various mental disorders through one-on-one or group settings. Clinical psychologists assist their patients in identifying their psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues so that a plan of action is created to help patients achieve personal and social development. To create a patient treatment plan, clinical psychologists must interview their patients who have different mental problems. They also collaborate with professionals such as social workers, nurses, and occupational therapists to provide the right treatment to their patients.

What does a licensed professional counselor do?

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.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed professional counselor salary

Clinical psychologists and licensed professional counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average salary	$97,659	$94,675
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $132,000	Between $73,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Bloomberg
Best paying industry	Government	Real Estate

Differences between clinical psychologist and licensed professional counselor education

There are a few differences between a clinical psychologist and a licensed professional counselor in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Professional Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Clinical Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Clinical psychologist vs licensed professional counselor demographics

Here are the differences between clinical psychologists' and licensed professional counselors' demographics:

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average age	43	41
Gender ratio	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
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, 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	12%	15%

Differences between clinical psychologist and licensed professional counselor duties and responsibilities

Clinical psychologist example responsibilities.

Manage high-utilizing patients with chronic health and behavioral health concerns to reduce inappropriate medical utilization and to promote better functional outcomes.
Supervise by Amanda Quayle, PsyD.
Utilize CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques.
Provide CBT, DBT and psychodynamic-orient psychotherapy to adolescent and adult clients.
Intern with Dr. Ann-Marie Tripp-Pendelton, PsyD, in a therapeutic capacity.
Collaborate with a team of social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists to develop individualize treatment plans for war veterans.

Licensed professional counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Provide clinical supervision to LPC candidates, contract clinicians and counseling psychology practicum/internship students.
Assign, direct, and provide supervision of screening assessment complete by LPC and LCSW.
Conduct intakes and assessments on new admissions and recommend placement into services base on ASAM criteria.
Coordinate with the patient's family, attending physician, other hospitals and agencies following HIPAA standards.
Specialize in OCD and animal assist psychotherapy.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed professional counselor skills

Common clinical psychologist skills

Patients, 16%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Clinical Psychology, 6%
Group Therapy, 5%
Veterans, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common licensed professional counselor skills

Patients, 13%
Social Work, 12%
LPC, 10%
Real Estate, 10%
Individual Therapy, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

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Clinical Psychologist vs Licensed Professional Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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