Licensed professional counselor vs primary therapist

The differences between licensed professional counselors and primary therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a licensed professional counselor and a primary therapist. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, which is higher than the $59,826 average annual salary of a primary therapist.

The top three skills for a licensed professional counselor include patients, social work and LPC. The most important skills for a primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.

Licensed professional counselor vs primary therapist overview

	Licensed Professional Counselor	Primary Therapist
Yearly salary	$94,675	$59,826
Hourly rate	$45.52	$28.76
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	153,612	85,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	45
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does a primary therapist do?

Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.

Licensed professional counselor vs primary therapist salary

Licensed professional counselors and primary therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Licensed Professional Counselor	Primary Therapist
Average salary	$94,675	$59,826
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $122,000	Between $43,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Bloomberg	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Real Estate	Finance

Differences between licensed professional counselor and primary therapist education

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

	Licensed Professional Counselor	Primary Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	California State University - Long Beach

Licensed professional counselor vs primary therapist demographics

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

	Licensed Professional Counselor	Primary Therapist
Average age	41	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%
Race ratio	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%	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%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between licensed professional counselor and primary therapist duties and responsibilities

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.

Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

Licensed professional counselor vs primary therapist skills

Common licensed professional counselor skills

Patients, 13%
Social Work, 12%
LPC, 10%
Real Estate, 10%
Individual Therapy, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

Common primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor vs Primary Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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