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Psychological assistant vs associate

The differences between psychological assistants and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $68,862 average annual salary of a psychological assistant.

The top three skills for a psychological assistant include patients, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.

Psychological assistant vs associate overview

Psychological AssistantAssociate
Yearly salary$68,862$69,556
Hourly rate$33.11$33.44
Growth rate12%-
Number of jobs90,785569,041
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4341
Years of experience12-

What does a psychological assistant do?

A psychological assistant primarily performs support tasks to assist a psychologist in treating patients at a medical facility. Their duties focus on helping patients by answering inquiries, giving instructions, explaining procedures, gathering requirements, and conducting initial assessments. They can participate in serving the patients under the supervision and directives of a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a psychological assistant may also participate in conducting research, preparing and processing necessary paperwork, handling calls and other forms of correspondence, and attending meetings and seminars.

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

Psychological assistant vs associate salary

Psychological assistants and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Psychological AssistantAssociate
Average salary$68,862$69,556
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $105,000Between $34,000 And $140,000
Highest paying CitySparks, NVWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNevadaNew York
Best paying companyNew York UniversitySimpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industryNon Profits-

Differences between psychological assistant and associate education

There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and an associate in terms of educational background:

Psychological AssistantAssociate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern University-

Psychological assistant vs associate demographics

Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and associates' demographics:

Psychological AssistantAssociate
Average age4341
Gender ratioMale, 29.5% Female, 70.5%Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage11%7%

Differences between psychological assistant and associate duties and responsibilities

Psychological assistant example responsibilities.

  • Lead dialectical-behavioral therapy groups (DBT) for individuals with borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
  • Work with adults with anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD and adjustment disorders.
  • Conduct psychological assessment, including learning disability, ADHD, substance use disorders, personality, etc.
  • Administer cognitive assessments to patients presenting with workers compensation and personal injury claims
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.

Associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
  • Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
  • Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
  • Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
  • Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
  • Work according to ISO standards.
  • Show more

Psychological assistant vs associate skills

Common psychological assistant skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Crisis Intervention, 15%
  • Mental Illness, 13%
  • Clinical Supervision, 12%
  • PsyD, 5%
  • Psychological Assessments, 5%
Common associate skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Patients, 10%
  • Cleanliness, 8%
  • Windows, 4%
  • HR, 4%

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