Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between practitioners and therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a practitioner has an average salary of $84,058, which is higher than the $55,943 average annual salary of a therapist.
The top three skills for a practitioner include patients, patient care and social work. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| Practitioner | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,058 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $40.41 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 40% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 42,062 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
The duties of a practitioner depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the medical field, a practitioner is a doctor who provides medical services to patients according to their health issues or concerns, primarily by diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries. Their responsibilities include performing examinations and assessments, providing consultations and advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with nurses and technicians for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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.
Practitioners and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practitioner | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $84,058 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $138,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a practitioner and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| Practitioner | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between practitioners' and therapists' demographics:
| Practitioner | Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 12% | 12% |