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The differences between case workers and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a case worker and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $41,459 average annual salary of a case worker.
The top three skills for a case worker include social work, crisis intervention and patients. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Case Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $41,459 | $49,471 |
| Hourly rate | $19.93 | $23.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 107,329 | 110,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
Case workers and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Case Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $41,459 | $49,471 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $55,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Longview, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Appalachian Regional Healthcare | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a case worker and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Case Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | 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 case workers' and mental health counselors' demographics:
| Case Worker | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |