Licensed Therapists: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of licensed therapists about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for licensed therapists to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of licensed therapists expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for licensed therapists.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Licensed Therapists?
Do licensed therapists need a degree? What kind of experience do licensed therapists typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for licensed therapists to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Licensed Therapists
Jobs Postings for Licensed Therapists By Education
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 13,138 (45%)
- Master's degree: 6,547 (22%)
- Bachelor's degree: 4,236 (14%)
- No Education Listed: 4,177 (14%)
- High School or GED: 1,155 (4%)
A ph.d. or professional degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of licensed therapists. According to job data, a ph.d. or professional degree was required for 45% of positions. In 22% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 14% of postings a bachelor's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Licensed Therapists
Jobs Postings for Licensed Therapists By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 4,295 (42%)
- 2-3 Years: 4,918 (48%)
- 4-6 Years: 782 (8%)
- 7-9 Years: 70 (1%)
- 10+ Years: 164 (2%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for licensed therapists. In 48% of job postings for Licensed Therapists, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 42% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 8% of job postings for licensed therapists.
What Kind of Degree Do Licensed Therapists Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for licensed therapists, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 24 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective licensed therapists, and in 2023 a total of 190,188 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective licensed therapists.
Top Degree Programs for Licensed Therapists
Top 5 Degree Programs for Licensed Therapists (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other. | 13,458 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Experimental Psychology. | 4,342 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other. | 13,458 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Experimental Psychology. | 4,342 |
| Cognitive Science, General. | 2,955 |
| Psychology, Other. | 2,803 |
| Applied Psychology. | 2,536 |
| Forensic Psychology. | 2,506 |
| Educational Psychology. | 2,114 |
| Behavioral Neuroscience. | 1,427 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other. | 631 |
| Community Psychology. | 542 |
| Social Psychology. | 531 |
| Early Childhood and Family Studies. | 332 |
| Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics. | 316 |
| Performance and Sport Psychology. | 210 |
| Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology. | 105 |
| Family Psychology. | 56 |
| Psychopharmacology. | 34 |
| Transpersonal/Spiritual Psychology. | 28 |
| Personality Psychology. | 21 |
| Comparative Psychology. | 16 |
| Environmental Psychology. | 8 |
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What Skills Do Licensed Therapists Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by licensed therapists to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for licensed therapists, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Licensed Therapists
Based on 23,012 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Licensed Therapists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 18,479 | 80% |
| Mental Health | 7,525 | 33% |
| Clinical Psychology | 5,822 | 25% |
| Psychotherapy | 5,808 | 25% |
| Psychological Evaluations | 5,360 | 23% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Licensed Therapists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 6,355 | 28% |
| Communication | 5,522 | 24% |
| Management | 4,872 | 21% |
| Writing | 3,848 | 17% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 3,039 | 13% |
Based on 23,012 job postings related to licensed therapists, psychology was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 80% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for mental health, clinical psychology, psychotherapy, psychological evaluations and treatment planning were also highly sought.
As for common skills, research was the most desired skill found in job postings for licensed therapists, followed by communication, management, writing, ethical standards and conduct and teaching.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 18,479 | 80% |
| Mental Health | 7,525 | 33% |
| Clinical Psychology | 5,822 | 25% |
| Psychotherapy | 5,808 | 25% |
| Psychological Evaluations | 5,360 | 23% |
| Treatment Planning | 5,334 | 23% |
| Behavioral Health | 5,127 | 22% |
| School Psychology | 4,910 | 21% |
| Psychiatry | 4,529 | 20% |
| Crisis Intervention | 3,451 | 15% |
| Clinical Supervision | 2,643 | 11% |
| Clinical Research | 2,550 | 11% |
| Social Work | 2,351 | 10% |
| Primary Care | 2,318 | 10% |
| Mental Diseases | 2,216 | 10% |
| Program Development | 2,192 | 10% |
| Behavioral Medicine | 1,807 | 8% |
| Health Psychology | 1,797 | 8% |
| Family Therapy | 1,724 | 7% |
| American Psychological Style (APA) | 1,718 | 7% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 6,355 | 28% |
| Communication | 5,522 | 24% |
| Management | 4,872 | 21% |
| Writing | 3,848 | 17% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 3,039 | 13% |
| Teaching | 2,741 | 12% |
| English Language | 2,652 | 12% |
| Leadership | 2,610 | 11% |
| Planning | 2,135 | 9% |
| Teamwork | 1,780 | 8% |
| Coordinating | 1,764 | 8% |
| Problem Solving | 1,712 | 7% |
| Scheduling | 1,703 | 7% |
| Presentations | 1,522 | 7% |
| Report Writing | 1,439 | 6% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,316 | 6% |
| Operations | 1,096 | 5% |
| Written English | 1,089 | 5% |
| Customer Service | 1,082 | 5% |
| Time Management | 974 | 4% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about licensed therapists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for licensed therapists.
What do licensed therapists do?
How much do licensed therapists make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.