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The differences between mental health consultants 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 consultant and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $51,006 average annual salary of a mental health consultant.
The top three skills for a mental health consultant include healthcare, substance abuse and patients. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Mental Health Consultant | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $51,006 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $24.52 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 127,233 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 consultants and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Consultant | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $51,006 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a mental health consultant and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Consultant | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between mental health consultants' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Consultant | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | 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% |