Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between behavioral health technicians and outpatient physical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist has an average salary of $66,359, which is higher than the $34,611 average annual salary of a behavioral health technician.
The top three skills for a behavioral health technician include patients, behavioral health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for an outpatient physical therapist are patients, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.
| Behavioral Health Technician | Outpatient Physical Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $34,611 | $66,359 |
| Hourly rate | $16.64 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 99,503 | 119,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A behavioral health technician participates in treating patients with behavioral problems caused by mental health issues. They are primarily responsible for monitoring the behavior of the patient, following the guidelines of treatment from a mental health professional, and regularly reporting any progress or problems. Moreover, a behavioral health technician must also carry out administrative tasks, which include producing reports and assessments, answering inquiries and correspondence, maintaining schedules, and keeping records. Furthermore, it is essential to give emotional support to a patient, providing them with a safe and healthy environment at all times.
An outpatient physical therapist specializes in diagnosing and treating a patient's movement dysfunction often caused by an illness or injury. Their responsibilities revolve around studying a patient's medical history, performing initial assessments, crafting a specific care and treatment plan, and discussing the extent of treatments with patients and their families. An outpatient physical therapist may also provide advice to families or guardians on how to assist and care for patients at home, prescribe medication, and perform follow-up consultations.
Behavioral health technicians and outpatient physical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Health Technician | Outpatient Physical Therapist | |
| Average salary | $34,611 | $66,359 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $47,000 | Between $40,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp. |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a behavioral health technician and an outpatient physical therapist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Health Technician | Outpatient Physical Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Boston University |
Here are the differences between behavioral health technicians' and outpatient physical therapists' demographics:
| Behavioral Health Technician | Outpatient Physical Therapist | |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 12% |