Mental health counselor vs school counselor

The differences between mental health counselors and school counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school counselor has an average salary of $49,904, 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 school counselor are mental health, community resources, and crisis intervention.

Mental health counselor vs school counselor overview

	Mental Health Counselor	School Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,471	$49,904
Hourly rate	$23.78	$23.99
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	110,752	91,275
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	41	42
Years of experience	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 school counselor do?

A school counselor is responsible for monitoring the students' social and personal development, advising them of their career aspirations, and assisting them with their academic achievements and goals. School counselors also ensure that the students receive the highest learning standards to pave their way towards society's advancement and global competitiveness. They evaluate students' behavior through personal counseling, understanding their challenges, and develop strategies to overcome their needs. A school counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, supporting students with their goals, and honing their skills efficiently.

Mental health counselor vs school counselor salary

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

	Mental Health Counselor	School Counselor
Average salary	$49,471	$49,904
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $70,000	Between $36,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Longview, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services	The Gow School
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between mental health counselor and school counselor education

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

	Mental Health Counselor	School Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Psychology	School Counseling
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Mental health counselor vs school counselor demographics

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

	Mental Health Counselor	School Counselor
Average age	41	42
Gender ratio	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%	Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	11%

Differences between mental health counselor and school counselor 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.

School counselor example responsibilities.

Manage open houses, recruitment, and conduct interviews for GED student enrollment.
Travel to professional conferences and to visit colleges and universities across the country for professional development.
Attend educational meetings (IEP, IST, CCT, etc . )
Create and implement FBA's.
Complete CPR training and other necessary training classes.
Communicate with DCF in regards to students as needed

Mental health counselor vs school counselor skills

Common mental health counselor skills

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

Common school counselor skills

Mental Health, 10%
Community Resources, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Professional Development, 5%
Behavioral Issues, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselor vs School Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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