Career Guides
Free guides for behavioral health professionals — salary data, licensure and scope of practice, and career paths for every role.
A therapist is a master's-level licensed clinician who provides psychotherapy.
"Therapist" is a job title, not a license — the credential behind it is usually an LCSW, LPC, or LMFT.
An LCSW is a master's-level clinician licensed for independent practice.
Its real advantage over other therapy licences is administrative, not clinical.
An LMFT treats the relationship, not just the individual.
It is also the only therapy licence with a clean federal wage dataset — and the most volatile by state.
A mental health counselor is a master's-level psychotherapy licence called LPC, LMHC, LPCC or LCPC depending on the state — and the one licence with no wage figure of its own.
A behavioral health case manager coordinates care — assessment, care plans, referrals, follow-up — rather than delivering treatment.
No licence is needed.
A behavioral health technician is front-line support staff in mental health care.
Usually an employer title, not a license — with four state exceptions.
A BCBA is a graduate-level BACB certification for independent behavior-analytic practice — not a licence, though 41 jurisdictions now also regulate it.
A clinical director runs a behavioral health program's clinical operations: supervision, quality, and compliance.
No single federal rule defines the seat.
Most states license clinical psychologists at the doctoral level, with psychological testing the defining scope — path, prescribing exception, pay.
A peer support specialist is hired for lived experience of recovery to support others through treatment.
Certified, not licensed — the role, path, and pay.
A PMHNP is an advanced practice nurse certified in psychiatric-mental health who diagnoses and prescribes — each state's law decides how independently.
A psychiatrist is a physician (MD or DO) who diagnoses mental illness and prescribes medication, after medical school and a 48-month psychiatry residency.
What is an RBT?
A registered behavior technician is a BACB-certified behavior technician who delivers ABA under close BCBA or BCaBA supervision.
A substance abuse counselor treats substance use disorders — under a licence, a state certificate, or a private certification, depending on the state.