Employment counselor vs licensed professional counselor

The differences between employment counselors and licensed professional counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, which is higher than the $43,848 average annual salary of an employment counselor.

The top three skills for an employment counselor include litigation, employment law and HR. The most important skills for a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.

Employment counselor vs licensed professional counselor overview

	Employment Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,848	$94,675
Hourly rate	$21.08	$45.52
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	29,459	153,612
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	-	4

What does an employment counselor do?

The employment counselor is someone who guides and advises people on how to choose, manage and continue in a career path they've chosen. The employment counselor educates people on each career's pros and cons, giving them insights into what to expect, salary rates, and employment chances in a particular profession. The employment counselor will also show how to excel in a specific career, offer ideas on what training or seminar to attend and what skills to enhance to achieve an edge over others.

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.

Employment counselor vs licensed professional counselor salary

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

	Employment Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average salary	$43,848	$94,675
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $71,000	Between $73,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Apple	Bloomberg
Best paying industry	Professional	Real Estate

Differences between employment counselor and licensed professional counselor education

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

	Employment Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Employment counselor vs licensed professional counselor demographics

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

	Employment Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	15%

Differences between employment counselor and licensed professional counselor duties and responsibilities

Employment counselor example responsibilities.

Complete reports, manage client files and process WIA billing invoices for tuition and supplies.
Manage a caseload of Calworks participants in working towards the goal of self-sufficiency and employment.
Monitor caseworkers to ensure rehabilitation services are properly coordinate to aid clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
Source, develop, and implement HRIS systems.
Provide case management to TANF recipients that move clients to employment.
Document in accordance with JCAHO, Medicaid, and all quality improvement standards.

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.

Employment counselor vs licensed professional counselor skills

Common employment counselor skills

Litigation, 16%
Employment Law, 14%
HR, 10%
Employment Litigation, 6%
FLSA, 5%
Training Programs, 4%

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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Employment Counselor
Employment Counselor vs Licensed Professional Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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