Program counselor vs clinical counselor

The differences between program counselors and clinical 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 program counselor and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $43,820 average annual salary of a program counselor.

The top three skills for a program counselor include developmental disabilities, patients and community integration. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.

Program counselor vs clinical counselor overview

	Program Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,820	$54,191
Hourly rate	$21.07	$26.05
Growth rate	10%	17%
Number of jobs	133,491	146,133
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a program counselor do?

A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum. This person is also tasked to help students resolve issues and problems that may hinder any educational progress. They are also part of the disciplinary team intended to instill good morals, ethics, and decency in students. The Program Counselor is one of the teacher or professor who has expertise or has a high educational degree in a particular subject or field.

What does a clinical counselor do?

A Clinical Counselor interviews clients to assess their mental health and behavioral problems. They examine issues such as substance abuse, depression, stress, aging and self-image.

Program counselor vs clinical counselor salary

Program counselors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average salary	$43,820	$54,191
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $58,000	Between $43,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	New York	Maryland
Best paying company	Russell Sage College	Novo Nordisk
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between program counselor and clinical counselor education

There are a few differences between a program counselor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:

	Program Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Program counselor vs clinical counselor demographics

Here are the differences between program counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:

	Program Counselor	Clinical Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between program counselor and clinical counselor duties and responsibilities

Program counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Provide education, within hospital setting, to adolescent psychiatric patients regarding substance abuse and dependency issues.
Receive CPR and first aid certifications.
Attend and receive CPR and basic restraint technique certifications.
Assist each client with compassion to encourage them on their journey to recovery.
Encourage and mentore residents during their recovery and rehabilitation process.

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Clinical counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Perform client intake assessments and conduct monthly assessments to identify progress of patients and determine individuals ready to graduate from program.
Review charts to ensure that they are in compliance with OASAS standards.
Initial assessment, diagnosis, ASAM criteria, treatment planning , 3rd party contact, group and individual therapy.
Maintain appropriate documentation per NYS OASAS regulations and APG guidelines

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Program counselor vs clinical counselor skills

Common program counselor skills

Developmental Disabilities, 11%
Patients, 11%
Community Integration, 9%
CPR, 8%
Social Work, 8%
Medication Administration, 7%

Common clinical counselor skills

Social Work, 36%
Patients, 8%
Foster Care, 7%
Independent Living, 6%
Child Abuse, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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