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The differences between health program specialists and mental health consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a health program specialist, becoming a mental health consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health consultant has an average salary of $51,006, which is higher than the $48,114 average annual salary of a health program specialist.
The top three skills for a health program specialist include health education, data collection and patients. The most important skills for a mental health consultant are healthcare, substance abuse, and patients.
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $48,114 | $51,006 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 114,825 | 127,233 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A health program specialist is in charge of planning and developing health programs in communities or facilities. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify client needs, gathering and analyzing data, spearheading different activities that promote healthy lifestyles, assessing existing programs to determine areas needing improvement, and coordinating with health care experts. Furthermore, as a health program specialist, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while adhering to the vision and mission of the organization or community.
A mental health consultant is responsible for providing counseling and emotional support to manage a client's issue and control behaviors. Mental health consultants must have excellent communication and listening skills to understand and assess the client's situation and evaluate the level of their emotional and psychological distress. They also need to monitor progress on the client's state and use different psychotherapy methods and treatment plans. A mental health consultant should also reach out to other health professionals to ask assistance for any recovery options as needed.
Health program specialists and mental health consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average salary | $48,114 | $51,006 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $69,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a health program specialist and a mental health consultant in terms of educational background:
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between health program specialists' and mental health consultants' demographics:
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 7% | 15% |