Health therapist vs clinical counselor

The differences between health therapists 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 health therapist and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a health therapist has an average salary of $55,274, which is higher than the $54,191 average annual salary of a clinical counselor.

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

Health therapist vs clinical counselor overview

	Health Therapist	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$55,274	$54,191
Hourly rate	$26.57	$26.05
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	104,056	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a health therapist do?

Health Therapists are healthcare workers who help patients overcome their physical, mental, or emotional challenges. They create treatment plans for patients depending on their specialization. They consider the patient's medical history as well as the risk factors. Health Therapists are actively involved in the patient's recovery. They monitor the progress of the treatment plan, schedule therapy sessions, provide activities during each session, and encourage them along the way. Health Therapists help improve the lives of their patients and ease them into their new realities.

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.

Health therapist vs clinical counselor salary

Health therapists and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Therapist	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$55,274	$54,191
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	California	Maryland
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between health therapist and clinical counselor education

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

	Health Therapist	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Health therapist vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between health therapists' and clinical counselors' demographics:

	Health Therapist	Clinical Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	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 health therapist and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Health therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Work with children who have autism by providing direct services.
Provide acute therapeutic intervention to adult and geriatric patients presenting with varying mental health diagnoses, seeking support and stabilization.
Record and maintain daily activities and rehabilitation progress for medical evaluation.
Facilitate therapy groups with adults and adolescents on acute psychiatric units and chemical dependency rehabilitation programs.
Facilitate transfer of patients to appropriate levels of care as determined by interdisciplinary team during or after completing treatment.

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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

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Health therapist vs clinical counselor skills

Common health therapist skills

Social Work, 33%
Patients, 20%
Patient Care, 7%
Substance Abuse, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Clinical Documentation, 3%

Common clinical counselor skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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