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The differences between assessment specialists and mental health clinicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assessment specialist and a mental health clinician. Additionally, an assessment specialist has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $54,359 average annual salary of a mental health clinician.
The top three skills for an assessment specialist include social work, patients and edition. The most important skills for a mental health clinician are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Yearly salary | $64,402 | $54,359 |
| Hourly rate | $30.96 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,625 | 91,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assessment specialist is an administrative professional who is responsible for designing and conducting assessment tests for a variety of academic clients. Assessment specialists are required to coordinate and implement the student testing program, which includes assessing an individual child's needs, potentials, and limitations. They must monitor special education or talent and gifted (TAG) staff to ensure that objectives are met. Assessment specialists must also need to know state laws and federal that pertain to educational assessments.
A Mental Health Clinician provides psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation services for patients with mental health problems. They manage the treatment of clients and help them to obtain stable physical health.
Assessment specialists and mental health clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average salary | $64,402 | $54,359 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $86,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | City and County of Denver Government |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between an assessment specialist and a mental health clinician in terms of educational background:
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between assessment specialists' and mental health clinicians' demographics:
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4% | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |