Health therapist vs clinical therapist

The differences between health therapists and clinical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clinical therapist has an average salary of $57,864, which is higher than the $55,274 average annual salary of a health therapist.

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

Health therapist vs clinical therapist overview

	Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Yearly salary	$55,274	$57,864
Hourly rate	$26.57	$27.82
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	104,056	136,898
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	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 therapist do?

A Clinical Therapist works with patients to help identify, examine, and treat mental health and emotional issues or disorders. They counsel individuals or groups regarding psychological or emotional problems, as well as observe clients to detect indications of abnormal physical or mental behavior.

Health therapist vs clinical therapist salary

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

	Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average salary	$55,274	$57,864
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	CVS Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between health therapist and clinical therapist education

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

	Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Health therapist vs clinical therapist demographics

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

	Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	15%	12%

Differences between health therapist and clinical therapist 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.

Show more

Clinical therapist example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Provide direct treatment services such as individual/group therapy and intervene in crisis situations when patients exhibit acute psychiatric symptoms.
Direct patients to designate residential or supportive living options, community base placement/ treatment or other resources as necessary.
Provide training for federal and public organizations regarding the psychological aspects of veterans having experience combat or military sexual trauma.
Work closely with a license orthotist/prosthetist to obtain orthotics for children who require them.

Health therapist vs clinical therapist skills

Common health therapist skills

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

Common clinical therapist skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 12%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Mental Health, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Community Resources, 3%

Health Therapist vs. similar jobs

Health Therapist related careers

Health Therapist related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z