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The differences between lead counselors and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead counselor has an average salary of $178,478, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.
The top three skills for a lead counselor include legal advice, litigation and work ethic. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Lead Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $178,478 | $49,471 |
| Hourly rate | $85.81 | $23.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 74,247 | 110,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A Lead Counselor is responsible for the management of patients' mental health and rehabilitation services. Often, they help them to recover from a tragic or traumatic kind of situation. They also help the patient cope with family and job-related stress and other personal issues. They teach other staff and especially clients to educate them in dealing with stress management and eventually monitor their progress. This person should also have strong written and verbal communication skills.
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
Lead counselors and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $178,478 | $49,471 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $315,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Longview, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | MDI | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lead counselor and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Lead Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between lead counselors' and mental health counselors' demographics:
| Lead Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 15% |