Clinical supervisor vs clinical counselor

The differences between clinical supervisors 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 clinical supervisor and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical supervisor has an average salary of $61,615, which is higher than the $54,191 average annual salary of a clinical counselor.

The top three skills for a clinical supervisor include patients, social work and autism. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Clinical supervisor vs clinical counselor overview

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$61,615	$54,191
Hourly rate	$29.62	$26.05
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	71,220	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a clinical supervisor do?

A clinical supervisor is responsible for managing a healthcare facility's daily operations, including the medical procedures and treatments of the medical professionals and practitioners. Clinical supervisors work with other healthcare professionals to optimize treatments, assess patients' health conditions, and administer medications. They also enforce strict sanitary and hygienic procedures for strict compliance of the staff. A clinical supervisor must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to discuss recommendations and evaluate work procedures to provide the patients' highest quality services.

What does a clinical counselor do?

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.

Clinical supervisor vs clinical counselor salary

Clinical supervisors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$61,615	$54,191
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $88,000	Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	California	Maryland
Best paying company	Apple	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between clinical supervisor and clinical counselor education

There are a few differences between a clinical supervisor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Clinical supervisor vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between clinical supervisors' and clinical counselors' demographics:

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	15%	15%

Differences between clinical supervisor and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Clinical supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the clinical reimbursement coordinators traveling schedule to ensure that facilities have adequate MDS coverage.
Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in EMR system.
Assist with implementation of OSHA, emergency preparedness, infection control and regulatory compliance for the medical clinic.
Participate in training on various topics such as HIPAA compliance, treatment planning, co-occurring disorders and crisis management.
Pick to be part of a group that work to establish the insurance information house in the EMR system.
Provide annual OSHA require health education, maintain the OSHA log and submit the final annual summary to company management.

Clinical counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
Initial assessment, diagnosis, ASAM criteria, treatment planning , 3rd party contact, group and individual therapy.
Maintain appropriate documentation per NYS OASAS regulations and APG guidelines

Clinical supervisor vs clinical counselor skills

Common clinical supervisor skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 8%
Autism, 7%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 6%
ABA, 5%
Clinical Supervision, 4%

Common clinical counselor skills

Social Work, 36%
Patients, 8%
Foster Care, 7%
Independent Living, 6%
Child Abuse, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

Clinical Supervisor vs. similar jobs

Clinical Supervisor related careers

Clinical Supervisor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Clinical Supervisor
Clinical Supervisor vs Clinical Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs