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The differences between mental health practitioners 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 practitioner and a clinical counselor. Additionally, a clinical counselor has an average salary of $54,191, which is higher than the $50,628 average annual salary of a mental health practitioner.
The top three skills for a mental health practitioner include social work, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a clinical counselor are social work, patients, and foster care.
| Mental Health Practitioner | Clinical Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,628 | $54,191 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $26.05 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 140,365 | 146,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Mental health practitioners are medical professionals who work with patients who have mental health issues such as schizophrenia, split personality disorder, and depression. These practitioners are required to develop and implement patient care plans for adults with severe mental disabilities while providing mental health services to attain improved mental health. They must make sure that patients did not spit out their medicines by observing post medication administration with the nurse. Mental health practitioners must also manage therapeutic activities that will teach patients about functional living skills.
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 practitioners and clinical counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Practitioner | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,628 | $54,191 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $71,000 | Between $43,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | New York | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Novo Nordisk |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Professional |
There are a few differences between a mental health practitioner and a clinical counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Practitioner | 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 practitioners' and clinical counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Practitioner | Clinical Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% | 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% |