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The differences between community health counselors 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 community health counselor and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $43,304 average annual salary of a community health counselor.
The top three skills for a community health counselor include social work, behavioral health and patients. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Community Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $43,304 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $20.82 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 131,804 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
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.
Community health counselors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $43,304 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $63,000 | 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 | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a community health counselor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Community Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between community health counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Community Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |