Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health assistants and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a mental health assistant and a residential counselor. Additionally, a mental health assistant has an average salary of $34,333, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a mental health assistant include patients, substance abuse and direct patient care. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Mental Health Assistant | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,333 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $16.51 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 133,248 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A mental health assistant is responsible for supporting patients with mental and emotional issues under the supervision of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. Mental health assistants assist patients in performing their daily activities, monitoring their progress, and observing their personal and social behaviors. They also conduct recreational and engaging activities for the patients as part of their cooperative treatment plans. A mental health assistant ensures that the rooms and facilities are clean and safe at all times to prevent potential hazards and accidents.
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Mental health assistants and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Assistant | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $34,333 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $48,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Medical University of South Carolina | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a mental health assistant and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Assistant | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between mental health assistants' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Assistant | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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, 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 | 15% | 15% |