Mental health professional vs mental health counselor

The differences between mental health professionals and mental health 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 professional and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, 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 counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Mental health professional vs mental health counselor overview

	Mental Health Professional	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,119	$49,471
Hourly rate	$23.61	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	109,499	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a mental health professional do?

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.

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.

Mental health professional vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Mental Health Professional	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$49,119	$49,471
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $70,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Cupertino, CA	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Wellpath	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between mental health professional and mental health counselor education

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

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

Mental health professional vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Mental Health Professional	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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%

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

Mental health professional example responsibilities.

Lead training for staff on specific counseling interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Monitor and manage preventative behavior with 2-3 MHA'S team and carry out a constructive routine with patients.
Provide individual treatment using CBT, DBT and motivational interviewing techniques to detainees with mental health and/or behavioral concerns.
Develop curriculum for and facilitate mental health groups including DBT education.
Provide comprehensive, recovery orient mental health skill building and support to patients with psychiatric disorder, including co-occurring diagnosis
Work with children and families as a psycho-social rehabilitation provider and qualify medical health assistant.

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 professional vs mental health counselor skills

Common mental health professional skills

Social Work, 20%
Patients, 19%
CPR, 7%
Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Clinical Supervision, 5%
Clinical Documentation, 5%

Common mental health counselor skills

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

Mental Health Professional vs. similar jobs

Mental Health Professional related careers

Mental Health Professional related jobs

What similar roles do

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

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs