Mental health therapist vs clinical therapist

The differences between mental health therapists and clinical therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clinical therapist has an average salary of $57,864, which is higher than the $50,259 average annual salary of a mental health therapist.

The top three skills for a mental health therapist include social work, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a clinical therapist are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Mental health therapist vs clinical therapist overview

	Mental Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Yearly salary	$50,259	$57,864
Hourly rate	$24.16	$27.82
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	114,386	136,898
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	-

What does a mental health therapist do?

The job of mental health therapists is to guide individuals, groups, couples, and families with problems that are impacting their well-being and mental health. Their duties and responsibilities include encouraging clients to talk about their experiences, examining issues that may affect mental health such as substance abuse and bullying, and assisting clients in defining their goals and action plans. Mental health therapists are also responsible for developing therapeutic processes, referring clients to other services or resources like psychologists, and helping them adjust to life changes.

What does a clinical therapist do?

A Clinical Therapist works with patients to help identify, examine, and treat mental health and emotional issues or disorders. They counsel individuals or groups regarding psychological or emotional problems, as well as observe clients to detect indications of abnormal physical or mental behavior.

Mental health therapist vs clinical therapist salary

Mental health therapists and clinical therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average salary	$50,259	$57,864
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $70,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	Tykes And Teens	CVS Health
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Government

Differences between mental health therapist and clinical therapist education

There are a few differences between a mental health therapist and a clinical therapist in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health therapist vs clinical therapist demographics

Here are the differences between mental health therapists' and clinical therapists' demographics:

	Mental Health Therapist	Clinical Therapist
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	15%	12%

Differences between mental health therapist and clinical therapist duties and responsibilities

Mental health therapist example responsibilities.

Create and lead PTSD group for women, depression and stress management groups for men and women.
Collaborate with patients to develop individualize treatment plans and evaluate plans periodically to monitor progress towards achieving identify goals and objectives.
Provide clinical supervision for MFT intern and participate in peer to peer reviews.
Receive training in diagnoses, physical restraints and CPR.
Care for children with autism and document daily data collection.
Utilize therapy techniques from various modalities including EMDR, TF-CBT, and DBT

Clinical therapist example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Provide direct treatment services such as individual/group therapy and intervene in crisis situations when patients exhibit acute psychiatric symptoms.
Direct patients to designate residential or supportive living options, community base placement/ treatment or other resources as necessary.
Provide training for federal and public organizations regarding the psychological aspects of veterans having experience combat or military sexual trauma.
Work closely with a license orthotist/prosthetist to obtain orthotics for children who require them.

Mental health therapist vs clinical therapist skills

Common mental health therapist skills

Social Work, 35%
Patients, 10%
Mental Health, 6%
Group Therapy Sessions, 5%
Mental Health Issues, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

Common clinical therapist skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 12%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Mental Health, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Community Resources, 3%

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Mental Health Therapist
Mental Health Therapist vs Clinical Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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