Psychotherapist-counselor vs licensed professional counselor

The differences between psychotherapist-counselors and licensed professional 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 psychotherapist-counselor and a licensed professional counselor. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor has an average salary of $94,675, which is higher than the $82,581 average annual salary of a psychotherapist-counselor.

The top three skills for a psychotherapist-counselor include family therapy, social work and mental health issues. The most important skills for a licensed professional counselor are patients, social work, and LPC.

Psychotherapist-counselor vs licensed professional counselor overview

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Yearly salary	$82,581	$94,675
Hourly rate	$39.70	$45.52
Growth rate	11%	6%
Number of jobs	28,899	153,612
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Psychotherapist-counselor vs licensed professional counselor salary

Psychotherapist-counselors and licensed professional counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average salary	$82,581	$94,675
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $114,000	Between $73,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Bloomberg
Best paying industry	-	Real Estate

Differences between psychotherapist-counselor and licensed professional counselor education

There are a few differences between a psychotherapist-counselor and a licensed professional counselor in terms of educational background:

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Psychotherapist-counselor vs licensed professional counselor demographics

Here are the differences between psychotherapist-counselors' and licensed professional counselors' demographics:

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Licensed Professional Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
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 psychotherapist-counselor and licensed professional counselor duties and responsibilities

Psychotherapist-counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Collaborate with other professionals in multidisciplinary staff meetings to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Licensed professional counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Provide clinical supervision to LPC candidates, contract clinicians and counseling psychology practicum/internship students.
Assign, direct, and provide supervision of screening assessment complete by LPC and LCSW.
Conduct intakes and assessments on new admissions and recommend placement into services base on ASAM criteria.
Coordinate with the patient's family, attending physician, other hospitals and agencies following HIPAA standards.
Specialize in OCD and animal assist psychotherapy.

Psychotherapist-counselor vs licensed professional counselor skills

Common psychotherapist-counselor skills

Family Therapy, 12%
Social Work, 12%
Mental Health Issues, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 10%
Clinical Supervision, 8%
Substance Abuse, 8%

Common licensed professional counselor skills

Patients, 13%
Social Work, 12%
LPC, 10%
Real Estate, 10%
Individual Therapy, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 6%

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Psychotherapist-Counselor
Psychotherapist-Counselor vs Licensed Professional Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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