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The differences between mental health clinicians and family 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 mental health clinician and a family therapist. Additionally, a mental health clinician has an average salary of $54,359, which is higher than the $50,774 average annual salary of a family therapist.
The top three skills for a mental health clinician include social work, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a family therapist are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Mental Health Clinician | Family Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,359 | $50,774 |
| Hourly rate | $26.13 | $24.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 91,347 | 106,982 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.
Mental health clinicians and family therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Clinician | Family Therapist | |
| Average salary | $54,359 | $50,774 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $80,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | City and County of Denver Government | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a mental health clinician and a family therapist in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Clinician | Family Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 family therapists' demographics:
| Mental Health Clinician | Family Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 6% |