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The differences between mental health technicians and behavior technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a behavior technician has an average salary of $38,026, which is higher than the $32,118 average annual salary of a mental health technician.
The top three skills for a mental health technician include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a behavior technician are autism, applied behavior analysis, and behavior analysis.
| Mental Health Technician | Behavior Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,118 | $38,026 |
| Hourly rate | $15.44 | $18.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,710 | 47,541 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 34 | 34 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A mental health technician's primary responsibility is to provide care and assistance to patients with mental health issues. Their tasks mainly revolve around administering scheduled and prescribed medication, monitoring vital signs, assisting during therapy sessions, and assessing patients' progress and behavior. They may also have administrative support tasks such as processing necessary documentation, preparing reports, managing schedules, and even reaching out to patients' guardians and families. A mental health technician may also build a healthy rapport with patients, giving them guidance and positive influence.
The job of a behavioral technician is to offer mental health services to patients who struggle with behavior-related problems. Behavior technicians uphold the highest standard of quality of care. They are the ones who enforce learning programs like self-help, communication, and play skills. It is their duty to incorporate medical care training for parents, so caregivers or family members can support and teach skills during family activities. One must be good in written and verbal communication, can work with team members, and develop good interpersonal relationship skills to be a good technician.
Mental health technicians and behavior technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Technician | Behavior Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,118 | $38,026 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | CARE | Ernst & Young |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a mental health technician and a behavior technician in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Technician | Behavior Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between mental health technicians' and behavior technicians' demographics:
| Mental Health Technician | Behavior Technician | |
| Average age | 34 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |