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The differences between counseling specialists and behavioral specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a counseling specialist has an average salary of $44,061, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.
The top three skills for a counseling specialist include social work, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a behavioral specialist are mental health, autism, and applied behavior analysis.
| Counseling Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,061 | $42,029 |
| Hourly rate | $21.18 | $20.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 64,404 | 74,968 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A counseling specialist guides groups, families, or individuals dealing with mental well-being or mental health issues. These professionals approach their duties holistically by implementing a 'wellness' model that identifies and promotes the client's strengths. Besides developing therapeutic processes and encouraging clients to share their experiences and emotions, counseling specialists also refer the clients to professional psychologists and more services. They work with families and examine aging, relationships, suicide, stress, depression, self-image, careers, bullying, substance abuse, anger management, and LGBTQ issues.
A behavioral specialist is a psychological expert providing guidance and counseling to people who have behavioral issues affecting their abilities to learn and socialize with other people. Behavioral specialists assess the level of patients' behavior and make treatment plans to help them cope. They monitor the patient's progress and keep treatment reports, improving or adjusting treatment plans as needed. They also communicate with the patients' family and friends for treatment support, as well as coordinate with other health professionals for additional assistance.
Counseling specialists and behavioral specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counseling Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Average salary | $44,061 | $42,029 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $59,000 | Between $28,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Chicago Public Schools | Barbarian |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a counseling specialist and a behavioral specialist in terms of educational background:
| Counseling Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between counseling specialists' and behavioral specialists' demographics:
| Counseling Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |