Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health clinicians and clinical 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 clinician and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a mental health clinician has an average salary of $54,359, which is higher than the $54,191 average annual salary of a clinical counselor.
The top three skills for a mental health clinician include social work, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Mental Health Clinician | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $54,359 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $26.13 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 91,347 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Mental Health Clinician provides psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation services for patients with mental health problems. They manage the treatment of clients and help them to obtain stable physical health.
A Clinical Counselor interviews clients to assess their mental health and behavioral problems. They examine issues such as substance abuse, depression, stress, aging and self-image.
Mental health clinicians and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Clinician | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $54,359 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $80,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | City and County of Denver Government | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a mental health clinician and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Clinician | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 clinicians' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Clinician | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| 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% |