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The differences between behavioral health specialists and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $44,808 average annual salary of a behavioral health specialist.
The top three skills for a behavioral health specialist include patients, social work and substance abuse. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.
| Behavioral Health Specialist | Psychologist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,808 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $21.54 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 130,222 | 12,516 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Typically working for clinics and learning institutions, a behavioral health specialist is in charge of counseling and treating patients with behavioral issues. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment through interview and observation, maintaining records and data, developing treatment plans, and referring patients to other support services when necessary. Moreover, a behavioral health specialist must communicate with the patient's families or guardians, discuss conditions, and provide advice on taking care of them. Aside from treating patients, it is also essential to continuously monitor their behavior while building positive relationships with them.
Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.
Behavioral health specialists and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Health Specialist | Psychologist | |
| Average salary | $44,808 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $66,000 | Between $68,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Maxim Healthcare Group | Sierra Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a behavioral health specialist and a psychologist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Health Specialist | Psychologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between behavioral health specialists' and psychologists' demographics:
| Behavioral Health Specialist | Psychologist | |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% | Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8% |
| 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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 20% |