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The differences between health program specialists and mental health therapists 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 therapist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mental health therapist has an average salary of $50,259, 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 therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,114 | $50,259 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $24.16 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 114,825 | 114,386 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
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.
Health program specialists and mental health therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average salary | $48,114 | $50,259 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $69,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Apple | Tykes And Teens |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a health program specialist and a mental health therapist in terms of educational background:
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between health program specialists' and mental health therapists' demographics:
| Health Program Specialist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| 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% |