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The differences between marriage and family therapists and licensed professional 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 marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, which is higher than the $57,856 average annual salary of a marriage and family therapist.
The top three skills for a marriage and family therapist include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $57,856 | $94,675 |
| Hourly rate | $27.82 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 114,361 | 153,612 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Marriage and family therapists are health professionals who are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders of married couples and families. These therapists are required to treat patients with issues such as child and adolescent behavioral problems, depression and anxiety, and marital conflicts. They must observe the interaction of people within units while evaluating and resolving their issues with relationships. Marriage and family therapists must also guide their clients to go through transitional crises such as divorce or death.
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.
Marriage and family therapists and licensed professional counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average salary | $57,856 | $94,675 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $80,000 | Between $73,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bensalem, PA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | New York |
| Best paying company | Henderson Behavioral Health | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Government | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor in terms of educational background:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between marriage and family therapists' and licensed professional counselors' demographics:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 6% | 15% |