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The differences between mental health professionals and mental health consultants 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 professional and a mental health consultant. Additionally, a mental health consultant has an average salary of $51,006, which is higher than the $49,119 average annual salary of a mental health professional.
The top three skills for a mental health professional include social work, patients and CPR. The most important skills for a mental health consultant are healthcare, substance abuse, and patients.
| Mental Health Professional | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $51,006 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 109,499 | 127,233 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a mental health professional will revolve around observing the behavior of patients. They are responsible for knowing their medical history, conducting consultations and assessments, diagnosing conditions, devising particular treatments and prescribing medication, and providing emotional support to patients. Furthermore, a mental health professional must coordinate with families and other mental health experts to monitor patients' behavior and develop care plans to help them in their road to recovery.
A mental health consultant is responsible for providing counseling and emotional support to manage a client's issue and control behaviors. Mental health consultants must have excellent communication and listening skills to understand and assess the client's situation and evaluate the level of their emotional and psychological distress. They also need to monitor progress on the client's state and use different psychotherapy methods and treatment plans. A mental health consultant should also reach out to other health professionals to ask assistance for any recovery options as needed.
Mental health professionals and mental health consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Professional | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $51,006 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Wellpath | Guidehouse |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a mental health professional and a mental health consultant in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Professional | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between mental health professionals' and mental health consultants' demographics:
| Mental Health Professional | Mental Health Consultant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| 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, 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% |