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The differences between assessment specialists and mental health practitioners 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 practitioner. Additionally, an assessment specialist has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $50,628 average annual salary of a mental health practitioner.
The top three skills for an assessment specialist include social work, patients and edition. The most important skills for a mental health practitioner are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Yearly salary | $64,402 | $50,628 |
| Hourly rate | $30.96 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,625 | 140,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
Mental health practitioners are medical professionals who work with patients who have mental health issues such as schizophrenia, split personality disorder, and depression. These practitioners are required to develop and implement patient care plans for adults with severe mental disabilities while providing mental health services to attain improved mental health. They must make sure that patients did not spit out their medicines by observing post medication administration with the nurse. Mental health practitioners must also manage therapeutic activities that will teach patients about functional living skills.
Assessment specialists and mental health practitioners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average salary | $64,402 | $50,628 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $86,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an assessment specialist and a mental health practitioner in terms of educational background:
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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 practitioners' demographics:
| Assessment Specialist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4% | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% |
| 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% |