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The differences between mental health counselors 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 counselor and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.
The top three skills for a mental health counselor include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Mental Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $49,471 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $23.78 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 110,752 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
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 counselors and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $49,471 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Longview, WA | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a mental health counselor and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | 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 counselors' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Counselor | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |