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School psychological examiner vs psychotherapist

The differences between school psychological examiners and psychotherapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school psychological examiner has an average salary of $86,900, which is higher than the $69,921 average annual salary of a psychotherapist.

The top three skills for a school psychological examiner include K-12, adaptive and assessment measures. The most important skills for a psychotherapist are social work, patients, and individual therapy.

School psychological examiner vs psychotherapist overview

School Psychological ExaminerPsychotherapist
Yearly salary$86,900$69,921
Hourly rate$41.78$33.62
Growth rate14%6%
Number of jobs21,47420,520
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Master's Degree, 55%
Average age4347
Years of experience2-

What does a school psychological examiner do?

A school psychological examiner specializes in assessing the students' and faculty's psychological health. Among their responsibilities include conducting interviews and evaluations, performing background checks, addressing concerns, answering inquiries, and providing psychological support to students, faculty, and school staff. They may also respond to crises, conduct interventions, maintain records, and refer clients to other services as necessary. Moreover, a school psychological examiner must coordinate with other professionals in addressing psychological issues and concerns, resolving situations to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.

What does a psychotherapist do?

A Psychotherapist's responsibility is to help clients who suffer from symptoms like depression, anxiety, and other behavioral problems. They work with individuals, couples, and families.

School psychological examiner vs psychotherapist salary

School psychological examiners and psychotherapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

School Psychological ExaminerPsychotherapist
Average salary$86,900$69,921
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $128,000Between $43,000 And $111,000
Highest paying CityModesto, CAWorcester, MA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaDelaware
Best paying companyMiriam FoundationSutter Health
Best paying industryHealth CareProfessional

Differences between school psychological examiner and psychotherapist education

There are a few differences between a school psychological examiner and a psychotherapist in terms of educational background:

School Psychological ExaminerPsychotherapist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Master's Degree, 55%
Most common majorPsychologySocial Work
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

School psychological examiner vs psychotherapist demographics

Here are the differences between school psychological examiners' and psychotherapists' demographics:

School Psychological ExaminerPsychotherapist
Average age4347
Gender ratioMale, 33.1% Female, 66.9%Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage12%20%

Differences between school psychological examiner and psychotherapist duties and responsibilities

School psychological examiner example responsibilities.

  • Lead dialectical-behavioral therapy groups (DBT) for individuals with borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
  • Complete re-evaluations and functional behavioral assessments for children who are classify with emotional disturbance, autism, and specific learning disabilities.
  • Provide therapeutic intervention to individuals dealing with PTSD, anxiety, panic disorders, depression, and personality disorders.

Psychotherapist example responsibilities.

  • Provide individual, group therapy and rehabilitation services for clients with co-occurring disorders, trauma, addiction, grief, etc.
  • Perform case management services and prepare rehabilitation plans.
  • Administer cognitive and personality assessments, provide written summary of results to therapists, and provide verbal feedback to patients.
  • Cultivate and nurture positive, productive relationships with patients, families, and community providers to promote effective coordination of resources.
  • Experience in evaluations of adults, adolescents and children, including personality, clinical symptoms, developmental disabilities and cognitive status.
  • Conduct MST assessment including review of referral information, maintain the confidentiality of all consumer care information including protect health information.

School psychological examiner vs psychotherapist skills

Common school psychological examiner skills
  • K-12, 29%
  • Adaptive, 13%
  • Assessment Measures, 10%
  • Behavior Management, 8%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 7%
  • Psychological Assessments, 5%
Common psychotherapist skills
  • Social Work, 19%
  • Patients, 15%
  • Individual Therapy, 13%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Mental Health, 4%
  • Diagnostic Assessments, 2%

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