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Licensed professional counselor vs psychologist

The differences between licensed professional counselors and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $94,675 average annual salary of a licensed professional counselor.

The top three skills for a licensed professional counselor include patients, social work and LPC. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

Licensed professional counselor vs psychologist overview

Licensed Professional CounselorPsychologist
Yearly salary$94,675$97,803
Hourly rate$45.52$47.02
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs153,61212,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4147
Years of experience4-

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 psychologist do?

Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.

Licensed professional counselor vs psychologist salary

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

Licensed Professional CounselorPsychologist
Average salary$94,675$97,803
Salary rangeBetween $73,000 And $122,000Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyBloombergSierra Corporation
Best paying industryReal EstateHealth Care

Differences between licensed professional counselor and psychologist education

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

Licensed Professional CounselorPsychologist
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Licensed professional counselor vs psychologist demographics

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

Licensed Professional CounselorPsychologist
Average age4147
Gender ratioMale, 28.8% Female, 71.2%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage15%20%

Differences between licensed professional counselor and psychologist 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.
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Psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
  • Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
  • Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
  • Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
  • Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.
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Licensed professional counselor vs psychologist skills

Common licensed professional counselor skills
  • Patients, 13%
  • Social Work, 12%
  • LPC, 10%
  • Real Estate, 10%
  • Individual Therapy, 8%
  • Crisis Intervention, 6%
Common psychologist skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
  • Clinical Supervision, 5%
  • APA, 4%

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