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The differences between work counselors and clinical 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 work counselor, becoming a clinical counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $54,191 average annual salary of a clinical counselor.
The top three skills for a work counselor include social work, discharge planning and substance abuse. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Work Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,384 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $26.63 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 77,184 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A work counselor's responsibility is to know the employee's problems including stress, workplace depression, declining productivity, and anxiety, and help solve them by resolving negative patterns, rehabilitation, and prevention to improve quality of life. Such purpose is to reduce sickness absence and pressure. Part of their helping profession is to respect the employees' privacy by sharing information and opinions on resources that the client needs since they are not tasked to disclose information and give advice.
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.
Work counselors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,384 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $66,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | The Travelers Companies | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Professional |
There are a few differences between a work counselor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Work Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between work counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Work Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | 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 | 21% | 15% |