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The differences between crisis workers and mental health therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crisis worker and a mental health therapist. Additionally, a mental health therapist has an average salary of $50,259, which is higher than the $33,805 average annual salary of a crisis worker.
The top three skills for a crisis worker include patients, social work and mental health crisis. The most important skills for a mental health therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Crisis Worker | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,805 | $50,259 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $24.16 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 99,201 | 114,386 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A crisis worker is a mental health professional specializing in providing counseling and support services to individuals under emotional distress often caused by mental and behavioral issues, conducting interventions as needed. They are usually assigned in institutions or medical facilities, sometimes working for crisis hotlines where they must answer phone calls from clients, remain calm and rational during conversations, offer advice, and refer them to other support agencies to prevent them from taking drastic measures. A crisis worker engages with clients of all ages, requiring them to be proactive at all times.
The job of mental health therapists is to guide individuals, groups, couples, and families with problems that are impacting their well-being and mental health. Their duties and responsibilities include encouraging clients to talk about their experiences, examining issues that may affect mental health such as substance abuse and bullying, and assisting clients in defining their goals and action plans. Mental health therapists are also responsible for developing therapeutic processes, referring clients to other services or resources like psychologists, and helping them adjust to life changes.
Crisis workers and mental health therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crisis Worker | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average salary | $33,805 | $50,259 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $49,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Northwestern Medicine | Tykes And Teens |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a crisis worker and a mental health therapist in terms of educational background:
| Crisis Worker | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between crisis workers' and mental health therapists' demographics:
| Crisis Worker | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| 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% |