Mental health counselor vs counseling psychologist

The differences between mental health counselors and counseling 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 counseling psychologist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a counseling psychologist has an average salary of $80,294, 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 counseling psychologist are mental health, crisis intervention, and behavioral health.

Mental health counselor vs counseling psychologist overview

	Mental Health Counselor	Counseling Psychologist
Yearly salary	$49,471	$80,294
Hourly rate	$23.78	$38.60
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	110,752	12,337
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	41	43
Years of experience	4	6

Mental health counselor vs counseling psychologist salary

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

	Mental Health Counselor	Counseling Psychologist
Average salary	$49,471	$80,294
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $70,000	Between $55,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	Longview, WA	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between mental health counselor and counseling psychologist education

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

	Mental Health Counselor	Counseling Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Mental health counselor vs counseling psychologist demographics

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

	Mental Health Counselor	Counseling Psychologist
Average age	41	43
Gender ratio	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%
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 counseling 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.

Counseling psychologist example responsibilities.

Conduct and write triennial and initial assessments, participate and lead IEP meetings, functional behavioral assessments, behavior support plans.
Advance training in DBT and EMDR.
Establish a join ADHD clinic with one of the local pediatricians.
Provide psycho-diagnostic and psycho therapeutic services to cancer patients.
Develop a team orient treatment plan for patients producing quantitative measurable results.
Develop training materials for alcohol abuse treatment & rehabilitation services, including prevention of domestic violence, child abuse and homelessness.

Mental health counselor vs counseling 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 counseling psychologist skills

Mental Health, 27%
Crisis Intervention, 18%
Behavioral Health, 9%
Social Work, 7%
Psychological Services, 7%
Rehabilitation, 5%

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Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselor vs Counseling Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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