Mental health counselor vs clinical psychologist

The differences between mental health counselors and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mental health counselor, becoming a clinical psychologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.

The top three skills for a mental health counselor include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Mental health counselor vs clinical psychologist overview

	Mental Health Counselor	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$49,471	$97,659
Hourly rate	$23.78	$46.95
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	110,752	69,762
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	41	43
Years of experience	4	2

What does a mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.

What does a clinical psychologist do?

A clinical psychologist is a healthcare professional who treats patients with various mental disorders through one-on-one or group settings. Clinical psychologists assist their patients in identifying their psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues so that a plan of action is created to help patients achieve personal and social development. To create a patient treatment plan, clinical psychologists must interview their patients who have different mental problems. They also collaborate with professionals such as social workers, nurses, and occupational therapists to provide the right treatment to their patients.

Mental health counselor vs clinical psychologist salary

Mental health counselors and clinical psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Counselor	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$49,471	$97,659
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $70,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	Longview, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between mental health counselor and clinical psychologist education

There are a few differences between a mental health counselor and a clinical psychologist in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Counselor	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Psychology	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Mental health counselor vs clinical psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between mental health counselors' and clinical psychologists' demographics:

	Mental Health Counselor	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	41	43
Gender ratio	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
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, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	15%	12%

Differences between mental health counselor and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Clinical psychologist example responsibilities.

Manage high-utilizing patients with chronic health and behavioral health concerns to reduce inappropriate medical utilization and to promote better functional outcomes.
Supervise by Amanda Quayle, PsyD.
Utilize CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques.
Provide CBT, DBT and psychodynamic-orient psychotherapy to adolescent and adult clients.
Intern with Dr. Ann-Marie Tripp-Pendelton, PsyD, in a therapeutic capacity.
Collaborate with a team of social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists to develop individualize treatment plans for war veterans.

Mental health counselor vs clinical psychologist skills

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common clinical psychologist skills

Patients, 16%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Clinical Psychology, 6%
Group Therapy, 5%
Veterans, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

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Mental Health Counselor vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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