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Social Worker vs. Counselor vs. Psychologist

by Mary Peterson, PhD, ABPP

Feel compelled to help people live more meaningful lives? A career as a social worker, counselor or psychologist could very well be your calling. Employment in all three fields will allow you to provide therapy and counseling, and, if you so choose, establish your own private practice.

So, what are the differences between these behavioral health professions? Following is a summary of the emphases and unique characteristics of each.

For an overview, we’ve summarized each in the table below:

Type of work Master’s-level social workers have a broad scope of practice that includes counseling and psychotherapy but also extends to helping people obtain services, helping communities and groups provide or improve social and health services, and participating in legislative processes. Counselors typically help people by providing therapy for individuals, couples or families. Most often work in private practice or group practice settings. Psychologists provide therapy for individuals, couples and families, but can also have careers in psychological assessment, research, university teaching, consulting, or advocacy.
Minimum degree required Masters in Social Work (MSW) Masters Doctorate (PsyD)
Years of education 8 months to 2 years (8 months possible through Advanced Standing with accredited bachelor of social work degree) 3 years 5 years
Type of undergraduate degree preferred Social work to be eligible for advanced standing, or any major in social and behavioral studies Psychology or social work Psychology
Applicable license Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT)

Preliminary School Counselor License
Licensed Psychologist
Supervised clinical experience necessary for Oregon licensure** 3,500 hours, accrued after earning an MSW 2,400 hours, of which 400 hours are accrued during the program. (LMFT requires 1,000 of those hours to be with couples/families) 1,500 hours during program and 1,500 hours after the program
Can provide therapy? Yes Yes Yes
Can diagnose mental illness? Yes Yes Yes
Can prescribe medication? No No No
Can have a private practice? Yes, as an LCSW Yes, as an LPC or LMFT Yes, as a Licensed Psychologist
Salary range (2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics) $61,000-$75,000 (MSW)
$70,000-$84,000 (LCSW)
$60,000-$85,000 $90,000-$140,000

*It is possible to do lower-level social work with just a bachelor’s in social work (BSW). Learn more
**Requirements vary from state to state.

Type of work
Social Worker (masters-level*) Master’s-level social workers have a broad scope of practice that includes counseling and psychotherapy but also extends to helping people obtain services, helping communities and groups provide or improve social and health services, and participating in legislative processes.
Counselor Counselors typically help people by providing therapy for individuals, couples or families. Most often work in private practice or group practice settings.
Psychologist Psychologists provide therapy for individuals, couples and families, but can also have careers in psychological assessment, research, university teaching, consulting, or advocacy.
Minimum degree required
Social Worker (masters-level*) Masters in Social Work (MSW)
Counselor Masters
Psychologist Doctorate (PsyD)
Years of education
Social Worker (masters-level*) 8 months to 2 years (8 months possible through Advanced Standing with accredited bachelor of social work degree)
Counselor 3 years
Psychologist 5 years
Type of undergraduate degree preferred
Social Worker (masters-level*) Social work to be eligible for advanced standing, or any major in social and behavioral studies
Counselor Psychology or social work
Psychologist Psychology
Applicable license
Social Worker (masters-level*) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT)

Preliminary School Counselor License
Psychologist Licensed Psychologist
Supervised clinical experience necessary for Oregon licensure**
Social Worker (masters-level*) 3,500 hours, accrued after earning an MSW
Counselor 2,400 hours, of which 400 hours are accrued during the program. (LMFT requires 1,000 of those hours to be with couples/families)
Psychologist 1,500 hours during program and 1,500 hours after the program
Can provide therapy?
Social Worker (masters-level*) Yes
Counselor Yes
Psychologist Yes
Can diagnose mental illness?
Social Worker (masters-level*) Yes
Counselor Yes
Psychologist Yes
Can prescribe medication?
Social Worker (masters-level*) No
Counselor No
Psychologist No
Can have a private practice?
Social Worker (masters-level*) Yes, as an LCSW
Counselor Yes, as an LPC or LMFT
Psychologist Yes, as a Licensed Psychologist
Salary range (2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Social Worker (masters-level*) $61,000-$75,000 (MSW)
$70,000-$84,000 (LCSW)
Counselor $60,000-$85,000
Psychologist $90,000-$140,000

*It is possible to do lower-level social work with just a bachelor’s in social work (BSW). Learn more
**Requirements vary from state to state.

  1. What are the Roles of a Social Worker, Counselor and Psychologist?

    Social Work

    Social workers typically work in an organization to impact social change or help connect people to resources to improve their lives. In addition to individual or family counseling, they advocate for social justice, both at the systems level as they pursue changes in policy and at the individual level through helping people obtain tangible services.

    Potential work settings for social workers include social service organizations, health systems, or other nonprofit organizations. If you decide to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), you’ll have the opportunity to work in medical settings or in group or private practice as a licensed provider.

    Counselor

    If you see yourself providing psychotherapy in a private or group practice to individuals, families or groups, a career as a counselor may be your best option. A master’s degree in counseling leads to licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), opening the door to diagnose and treat people with a wide range of mental health problems, including trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use problems.

    You also have the option to take additional classes and accrue supervised experience to earn a license in marriage and family therapy (LMFT) at the same time you’re earning your LPC. Counselors licensed as LPCs or LMFTs often work in private practice offices, mental health centers, or other nonprofit organizations.

    School counseling is a third career option under the counseling umbrella. School counselors typically work in K-12 schools to provide counseling and career guidance.

    Psychologist

    If you want training in psychotherapy but also want to go deeper, consider becoming a psychologist. A career in psychology can give you the opportunity to conduct psychological assessments to determine the underlying causes of problems, conduct and publish research to move the field forward, teach at a university, or do government advocacy or consult for organizations.

    Potential work settings for psychologists include outpatient clinics, hospitals and healthcare organizations, universities, and government agencies.

  2. What kind of undergraduate degree do you need to become a social worker, counselor or psychologist?

    Most behavioral health graduate programs prefer that you have an undergraduate degree in social work or psychology. But the courses you took may be more important than what you majored in.

    All three of these graduate programs require foundational courses in human development, psychology, statistics and research. After that, each individual program is likely to have specific prerequisites. Even if you don’t have the specific prerequisites, you should still apply because you can often complete any missing courses before beginning the program.

  3. How long will I be in graduate school? How many hours of supervised clinical experience will I need to reach my career goals?

    There may be some variation in program length, depending on your undergraduate degree and how many credits you want to take each semester.

    The master of social work (MSW) degree is typically the shortest program of the three. Earning an MSW will likely take you one year or less if you have a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program, or two years if you majored in something else. If you plan to earn your LCSW, you’ll need 3,500 hours of supervised clinical experience after you graduate, and then will need to take a qualifying exam.

    A master’s degree in counseling will take between two and three years, depending on how many credit hours you take each semester. After graduation, you’ll need an additional 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience and take a qualifying exam to obtain your license.

    The doctor of psychology (PsyD) degree takes the longest to complete. You’ll have four years of academic coursework and then one year of a full-time internship. In most states, you’ll need 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience (usually 1,500 hours during your program and 1,500 hours after graduation), and have to take a qualifying exam to get your license.

  4. How much does a social worker, counselor and psychologist earn?

    Salary typically aligns with your scope of practice or the range of your skills. The MSW degree is a one- or two-year degree and allows you to work for an agency, government or nonprofit organization. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that social workers with an MSW earned $61,000 to $75,000 in 2022.

    If you add the LCSW, you have a broader set of skills and can bill and receive reimbursement for your services, so you may have a higher average income. Social workers with this higher credential typically earn between $70,000 and $84,000.

    The LPC license allows you to provide a range of counseling services and specialized care, like substance abuse or working with special populations, including children and families. Counselors earned $60,000 to $85,000 in 2022.

    The PsyD degree trains you to provide the widest range of services and allows you to develop skills that are unique to a doctoral degree. As a result, the profession has greater income potential. Psychologists had the highest salary range, according to the BLS, at $90,000 to $140,000 annually.

    For many licensed mental health professionals, their income depends on the type and amount of work they choose. If you choose a private or group practice, you’re likely to be reimbursed by the client’s insurance plan for each hour of therapy you provide. In that setting, you’ll have more flexibility and can vary your income according to how many hours you want to work.

    Alternatively, if you work for an agency your salary is likely to be stable, but you may not make as much money as you would in private practice. The flexibility in type of work, schedules and income potential provides a practical benefit as you work to empower others to transform their lives.

In Conclusion

Regardless of which route you choose, you will be trained and equipped to provide a valuable service to your community – and society as a whole. Opportunities abound in the behavioral health sciences, particularly in rural areas and underserved communities where there is a shortage of trained professionals in all three disciplines.

Behavioral Health Programs at ºìÐÓ¶ÌÊÓƵ Fox

Learn more about ºìÐÓ¶ÌÊÓƵ Fox University’s graduate programs offered in Oregon: