Play therapist vs family counselor

The differences between play therapists and family 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 play therapist and a family counselor. Additionally, a play therapist has an average salary of $92,351, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a play therapist include social work, children birth and cognitive behavioral. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Play therapist vs family counselor overview

	Play Therapist	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$92,351	$41,510
Hourly rate	$44.40	$19.96
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	23,449	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Play therapist vs family counselor salary

Play therapists and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Play Therapist	Family Counselor
Average salary	$92,351	$41,510
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $137,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between play therapist and family counselor education

There are a few differences between a play therapist and a family counselor in terms of educational background:

	Play Therapist	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Play therapist vs family counselor demographics

Here are the differences between play therapists' and family counselors' demographics:

	Play Therapist	Family Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between play therapist and family counselor duties and responsibilities

Play therapist example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator and BiPAP's and create or update care plans per patient needs.
Organize and perform behavioral therapies for a child with autism.
Work with identify pre-school handicap children in order to meet the goals and objectives of their IEP's.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.

Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

Play therapist vs family counselor skills

Common play therapist skills

Social Work, 21%
Children Birth, 17%
Cognitive Behavioral, 14%
Autism, 11%
Therapy Services, 3%
Language, 3%

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%