An LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) is a professional that looks at mental health problems as a functional problems to be solved for each patient, while a therapist approaches a patient's problems in the context of social and relational issues.

Licensed Professional Counselor vs Therapist

A licensed professional counselor is a professional that looks at mental health problems as functional problems to be solved for each patient, while a therapist approaches a patient's problems in the context of social and relational issues.

What is a licensed professional counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

A licensed professional counselor (LPC) provides therapy and counseling services to individuals, couples, families, and groups. They help with emotional and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, trauma, and addiction. LPCs use cognitive-behavioral therapy, talk therapy, and mindfulness to help clients improve their overall well-being. They diagnose mental health disorders, develop treatment plans, and provide ongoing support. LPCs work in settings such as private practices, community mental health clinics, hospitals, and schools.

What general advice would you give to a Licensed Professional Counselor?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

Counseling Services (school counseling concentration) and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (we have a CMHC concentration and a Dance Movement Therapy concentration in this program). The general advice I would give to graduates starting positions in the counseling field would be to understand the critical importance of the work of helping professionals. Counselors optimally provide a safe space for clients to discuss their fears, worries, anxieties, joys, traumas, insecurities, accomplishments, etc. This ability to be an empathic, listening, accepting presence will be even more crucial for clients in our current situation.

ScoreLicensed Professional CounselorUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,675

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.4

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 3.23%

Black or African American 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 12.21%

Unknown 5.91%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 71.17%

male 28.83%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Licensed Professional Counselor?

Pros

Building strong relationships with clients
Potential to specialize in a particular area of counseling
Opportunity for personal and professional growth
Competitive salary and benefits in some settings
Positive impact on the community

Cons

Emotionally demanding work
Burnout and compassion fatigue are common
Dealing with challenging clients
Difficulties with insurance reimbursement and payment for services
Managing personal biases and values when working with diverse clients

Key steps to become a licensed professional counselor

Explore licensed professional counselor education requirements

Most common licensed professional counselor degrees

Master's

47.8 %

Bachelor's

42.1 %

Associate

4.7 %

Start to develop specific licensed professional counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	12.68%
Social Work	12.34%
LPC	10.48%
Real Estate	9.67%
Individual Therapy	8.21%

Complete relevant licensed professional counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New licensed professional counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a licensed professional counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real licensed professional counselor resumes.

Research licensed professional counselor duties and 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.

Prepare your licensed professional counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your licensed professional counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a licensed professional counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Licensed Professional Counselor Resume templates

Build a professional Licensed Professional Counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Licensed Professional Counselor resume.

Apply for licensed professional counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a licensed professional counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average licensed professional counselor salary

The average Licensed Professional Counselor salary in the United States is $94,675 per year or $46 per hour. Licensed professional counselor salaries range between $73,000 and $122,000 per year.

Average Licensed Professional Counselor Salary

$94,675 Yearly

$45.52 hourly

How do licensed professional counselors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Licensed Professional Counselor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Making a difference in someone's life. Seeing positive changes.

Cons

Late hours after 9 pm or before 9 am

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.

Cons

The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.

What is a licensed professional counselor and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Licensed Professional Counselor?

What are the pros and cons of being a Licensed Professional Counselor?

Licensed Professional Counselor career paths

Key steps to become a licensed professional counselor

Explore licensed professional counselor education requirements

Most common licensed professional counselor degrees

Start to develop specific licensed professional counselor skills

Complete relevant licensed professional counselor training and internships

Research licensed professional counselor duties and responsibilities

Prepare your licensed professional counselor resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Licensed Professional Counselor Resume templates

Apply for licensed professional counselor jobs

How Did You Land Your First Licensed Professional Counselor Job

Average licensed professional counselor salary

How do licensed professional counselors rate their job?

Licensed Professional Counselor reviews

Licensed Professional Counselor FAQs

LPC vs Therapist

Licensed Professional Counselor vs Therapist

Search for licensed professional counselor jobs

Licensed Professional Counselor jobs by state