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The differences between music therapists and therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a music therapist has an average salary of $57,096, which is higher than the $55,943 average annual salary of a therapist.
The top three skills for a music therapist include patients, interdisciplinary and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| Music Therapist | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,096 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $27.45 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 25,771 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A Music Therapist uses music within a therapeutic environment to treat those suffering from a variety of issues. They help clients develop an increased self-awareness and report their progress to families, bosses, or relevant agencies.
A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
Music therapists and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Music Therapist | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $57,096 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $84,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woodland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Childhelp | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a music therapist and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| Music Therapist | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Rehabilitation Science | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between music therapists' and therapists' demographics:
| Music Therapist | Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 12% |