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The differences between marriage and family therapists and mental health consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a marriage and family therapist and a mental health consultant. Additionally, a marriage and family therapist has an average salary of $57,856, which is higher than the $51,006 average annual salary of a mental health consultant.
The top three skills for a marriage and family therapist include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a mental health consultant are healthcare, substance abuse, and patients.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,856 | $51,006 |
| Hourly rate | $27.82 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 114,361 | 127,233 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Marriage and family therapists are health professionals who are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders of married couples and families. These therapists are required to treat patients with issues such as child and adolescent behavioral problems, depression and anxiety, and marital conflicts. They must observe the interaction of people within units while evaluating and resolving their issues with relationships. Marriage and family therapists must also guide their clients to go through transitional crises such as divorce or death.
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.
Marriage and family therapists and mental health consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average salary | $57,856 | $51,006 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $80,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bensalem, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Henderson Behavioral Health | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a marriage and family therapist and a mental health consultant in terms of educational background:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between marriage and family therapists' and mental health consultants' demographics:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 6% | 15% |