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The differences between counseling specialists and mental health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mental health specialist has an average salary of $47,321, which is higher than the $44,061 average annual salary of a counseling specialist.
The top three skills for a counseling specialist include social work, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a mental health specialist are patients, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Counseling Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,061 | $47,321 |
| Hourly rate | $21.18 | $22.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 64,404 | 131,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A counseling specialist guides groups, families, or individuals dealing with mental well-being or mental health issues. These professionals approach their duties holistically by implementing a 'wellness' model that identifies and promotes the client's strengths. Besides developing therapeutic processes and encouraging clients to share their experiences and emotions, counseling specialists also refer the clients to professional psychologists and more services. They work with families and examine aging, relationships, suicide, stress, depression, self-image, careers, bullying, substance abuse, anger management, and LGBTQ issues.
A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Counseling specialists and mental health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counseling Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $44,061 | $47,321 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $59,000 | Between $31,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Chicago Public Schools | Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a counseling specialist and a mental health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Counseling Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between counseling specialists' and mental health specialists' demographics:
| Counseling Specialist | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% 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 | 11% | 15% |