Mental health counselor vs mental health associate

The differences between mental health counselors and mental health associates 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 mental health associate. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $36,510 average annual salary of a mental health associate.

The top three skills for a mental health counselor include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a mental health associate are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Mental health counselor vs mental health associate overview

	Mental Health Counselor	Mental Health Associate
Yearly salary	$49,471	$36,510
Hourly rate	$23.78	$17.55
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	110,752	122,947
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	41	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a mental health counselor do?

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.

What does a mental health associate do?

As a mental health associate, you will assist the medical team members in diagnosing and treating individuals with mental, developmental, and behavioral conditions. You may be tasked to facilitate individual and group therapy sessions, help patients with their day-to-day activities such as self-care and hygiene, and assist in administering medications prescribed by physicians. Other duties include planning and leading program activities, attending treatment rounds, and assisting with the physical care of patients. The qualifications and skills required for this role include a bachelor's degree in social science or psychology, previous work experience, and certification on basic life support.

Mental health counselor vs mental health associate salary

Mental health counselors and mental health associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Counselor	Mental Health Associate
Average salary	$49,471	$36,510
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $70,000	Between $25,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Longview, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between mental health counselor and mental health associate education

There are a few differences between a mental health counselor and a mental health associate in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Counselor	Mental Health Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health counselor vs mental health associate demographics

Here are the differences between mental health counselors' and mental health associates' demographics:

	Mental Health Counselor	Mental Health Associate
Average age	41	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between mental health counselor and mental health associate duties and responsibilities

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Mental health associate example responsibilities.

Lead a number of psychotherapy groups including DBT.
Manage other MHA's in their duties and help them problem solving in tense and stressful situations.
Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Require to participate as an interdisciplinary treatment team member and assist patients in managing activities of daily living.
Treat the patients with compassion, care and respect.
Communicate with doctors, nurses, MHA's, PCA's, and patients both verbally and in writing.

Mental health counselor vs mental health associate skills

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common mental health associate skills

Patients, 24%
Customer Service, 9%
Vital Signs, 7%
CPR, 6%
Safety Checks, 4%
Social Work, 4%

Mental Health Counselor vs. similar jobs

Mental Health Counselor related careers

Mental Health Counselor related jobs

Mental Health Counselor jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselor vs Mental Health Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs