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The differences between mental health counselors and rehabilitation counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mental health counselor, becoming a rehabilitation counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $43,111 average annual salary of a rehabilitation counselor.
The top three skills for a mental health counselor include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a rehabilitation counselor are rehabilitation, social work, and mental health.
| Mental Health Counselor | Rehabilitation Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $49,471 | $43,111 |
| Hourly rate | $23.78 | $20.73 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 110,752 | 77,220 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
Rehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who are responsible for helping individuals cope with their disabilities to live independently. These counselors are required to consult other professionals, family members, and individuals when developing a treatment plan based on the goals, strengths, limitations, and personal values of their clients. They must make connections with community support so that individuals with disabilities can avail of the types of services that are available. Rehabilitation counselors must also find employers and educate them in understanding the needs and abilities of disabled people.
Mental health counselors and rehabilitation counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Counselor | Rehabilitation Counselor | |
| Average salary | $49,471 | $43,111 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Longview, WA | Cleveland, OH |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Ohio |
| Best paying company | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services | North Shore Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a mental health counselor and a rehabilitation counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Counselor | Rehabilitation Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Washington |
Here are the differences between mental health counselors' and rehabilitation counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Counselor | Rehabilitation Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| 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, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 21% |