Health therapist vs primary therapist

The differences between health therapists and primary 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 health therapist and a primary therapist. Additionally, a primary therapist has an average salary of $59,826, which is higher than the $55,274 average annual salary of a health therapist.

The top three skills for a health therapist include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.

Health therapist vs primary therapist overview

	Health Therapist	Primary Therapist
Yearly salary	$55,274	$59,826
Hourly rate	$26.57	$28.76
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	104,056	85,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a health therapist do?

Health Therapists are healthcare workers who help patients overcome their physical, mental, or emotional challenges. They create treatment plans for patients depending on their specialization. They consider the patient's medical history as well as the risk factors. Health Therapists are actively involved in the patient's recovery. They monitor the progress of the treatment plan, schedule therapy sessions, provide activities during each session, and encourage them along the way. Health Therapists help improve the lives of their patients and ease them into their new realities.

What does a primary therapist do?

Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.

Health therapist vs primary therapist salary

Health therapists and primary therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Therapist	Primary Therapist
Average salary	$55,274	$59,826
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $43,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Baptist Health Care	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between health therapist and primary therapist education

There are a few differences between a health therapist and a primary therapist in terms of educational background:

	Health Therapist	Primary Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Health therapist vs primary therapist demographics

Here are the differences between health therapists' and primary therapists' demographics:

	Health Therapist	Primary Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%
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%

Differences between health therapist and primary therapist duties and responsibilities

Health therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Work with children who have autism by providing direct services.
Provide acute therapeutic intervention to adult and geriatric patients presenting with varying mental health diagnoses, seeking support and stabilization.
Record and maintain daily activities and rehabilitation progress for medical evaluation.
Facilitate therapy groups with adults and adolescents on acute psychiatric units and chemical dependency rehabilitation programs.
Facilitate transfer of patients to appropriate levels of care as determined by interdisciplinary team during or after completing treatment.

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Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

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Health therapist vs primary therapist skills

Common health therapist skills

Social Work, 33%
Patients, 20%
Patient Care, 7%
Substance Abuse, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Clinical Documentation, 3%

Common primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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