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Health therapist vs health coach

The differences between health therapists and health coaches 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 health coach. Additionally, a health therapist has an average salary of $55,274, which is higher than the $38,671 average annual salary of a health coach.

The top three skills for a health therapist include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a health coach are customer service, patients, and optimal health.

Health therapist vs health coach overview

Health TherapistHealth Coach
Yearly salary$55,274$38,671
Hourly rate$26.57$18.59
Growth rate9%12%
Number of jobs104,05663,129
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4543
Years of experience44

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 health coach do?

A Health Coach is an individual health educator who provides lifestyle and behavior guidance. They work with clients to help them feel their best through food and lifestyle changes.

Health therapist vs health coach salary

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

Health TherapistHealth Coach
Average salary$55,274$38,671
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $75,000Between $26,000 And $55,000
Highest paying CityLos Angeles, CAEureka, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyBaptist Health CareMassachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between health therapist and health coach education

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

Health TherapistHealth Coach
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorSocial WorkNursing
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachUniversity of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Health therapist vs health coach demographics

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

Health TherapistHealth Coach
Average age4543
Gender ratioMale, 28.8% Female, 71.2%Male, 20.9% Female, 79.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage15%21%

Differences between health therapist and health coach 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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Health coach example responsibilities.

  • Participate in workshops and offer lectures on various health topics, aim toward prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
  • Motivate staff to participate in lunch time yoga and strength training exercises as well as cooking demos and office nutrition trivia.
  • Promote, educate and assist individuals in health management including diabetes management, nutrition, stress management and tobacco cessation.
  • Obtain CPR certification before the summer program begin.
  • Maintain and control all hippa-relate patient documentation via EMR.
  • Perform all job duties in compliance with HIPAA guidelines and company confidentiality policies.
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Health therapist vs health coach skills

Common health therapist skills
  • Social Work, 33%
  • Patients, 20%
  • Patient Care, 7%
  • Substance Abuse, 4%
  • Discharge Planning, 4%
  • Clinical Documentation, 3%
Common health coach skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Optimal Health, 11%
  • Disease Management, 6%
  • Ongoing Support, 5%
  • Nutrition Education, 5%

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