Primary counselor vs clinician

The differences between primary counselors and clinicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a primary counselor, becoming a clinician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinician has an average salary of $60,150, which is higher than the $44,580 average annual salary of a primary counselor.

The top three skills for a primary counselor include group therapy sessions, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a clinician are social work, patients, and patient care.

Primary counselor vs clinician overview

	Primary Counselor	Clinician
Yearly salary	$44,580	$60,150
Hourly rate	$21.43	$28.92
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	65,753	105,023
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	39	45
Years of experience	6	4

Primary counselor vs clinician salary

Primary counselors and clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Primary Counselor	Clinician
Average salary	$44,580	$60,150
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $63,000	Between $34,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	Pace University
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between primary counselor and clinician education

There are a few differences between a primary counselor and a clinician in terms of educational background:

	Primary Counselor	Clinician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Hunter College of the City University of New York	California State University - Long Beach

Primary counselor vs clinician demographics

Here are the differences between primary counselors' and clinicians' demographics:

	Primary Counselor	Clinician
Average age	39	45
Gender ratio	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%	Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	15%

Differences between primary counselor and clinician duties and responsibilities

Primary counselor example responsibilities.

Coordinate individual client treatment plans to achieve individual and department rehabilitation goals.
Conduct intake screenings and assessment for treatment entry and appropriateness per ASAM criteria.
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans base on patient needs and ASAM criteria.
Maintain accurate and complete chart documentation regarding patient attitude and progress in the rehabilitation process following program protocols.
Facilitate group activities, arrange for outside recovery-orient NA/AA meetings, and provide a safe environment for recovering patients.
Facilitate substance abuse group counseling sessions to assist patients in recognizing causal factors of substance abuse and in developing coping behaviors.

Clinician example responsibilities.

Perform thorough substance abuse assessments incorporating instruments such as ASAM, SASSI and urine drug screens; provide individual therapy.
Spearhead the development of rehabilitation programs serving adults with chemical dependency and mental health diagnoses with the manager.
Follow all ethical CARF standards when treating the residential client.
Facilitate stabilization, assessment, care and compassion for those in critical need.
Provide CBT and motivational interviewing for individual and group therapy to clients' who are on methadone.
Used motivational interviewing to lead recovery and therapy groups for IOP and PHP programs in the evenings and on weekends.

Primary counselor vs clinician skills

Common primary counselor skills

Group Therapy Sessions, 10%
Mental Health, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 10%
Patients, 8%
Intake Assessments, 8%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 8%

Common clinician skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 14%
Patient Care, 4%
Individual Therapy, 4%
Mental Health, 4%
Mental Illness, 3%