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The differences between psychological assistants and licensed professional counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a psychological assistant, becoming a licensed professional counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, 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 a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.
| Psychological Assistant | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $68,862 | $94,675 |
| Hourly rate | $33.11 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 90,785 | 153,612 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A licensed professional counselor is a healthcare professional who specializes in providing therapy and counseling to patients with emotional and mental health issues. They listen to their patients and utilize various techniques to address concerns and help through the healing procedures. Their duties entail conducting interviews and evaluations, performing research and assessments, studying the patients' medical histories, providing consultations, and developing treatment plans that suit every patients' needs. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor monitors and records their patients' progress, adjusting treatments and medications as necessary.
Psychological assistants and licensed professional counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychological Assistant | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average salary | $68,862 | $94,675 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $105,000 | Between $73,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New York |
| Best paying company | New York University | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Real Estate |
There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and a licensed professional counselor in terms of educational background:
| Psychological Assistant | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and licensed professional counselors' demographics:
| Psychological Assistant | Licensed Professional Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 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 | 11% | 15% |