Clinical supervisor vs primary therapist

The differences between clinical supervisors and primary therapists 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 primary therapist. Additionally, a clinical supervisor has an average salary of $61,615, which is higher than the $59,826 average annual salary of a primary therapist.

The top three skills for a clinical supervisor include patients, social work and autism. The most important skills for a primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.

Clinical supervisor vs primary therapist overview

	Clinical Supervisor	Primary Therapist
Yearly salary	$61,615	$59,826
Hourly rate	$29.62	$28.76
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	71,220	85,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
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 primary therapist do?

Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.

Clinical supervisor vs primary therapist salary

Clinical supervisors and primary therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Supervisor	Primary Therapist
Average salary	$61,615	$59,826
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $88,000	Between $43,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Apple	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Education	Finance

Differences between clinical supervisor and primary therapist education

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

	Clinical Supervisor	Primary Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Clinical supervisor vs primary therapist demographics

Here are the differences between clinical supervisors' and primary therapists' demographics:

	Clinical Supervisor	Primary Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between clinical supervisor and primary therapist 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.

Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

Clinical supervisor vs primary therapist skills

Common clinical supervisor skills

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

Common primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Clinical Supervisor vs Primary Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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