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The differences between mental health therapists and family therapists 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 therapist and a family therapist. Additionally, a family therapist has an average salary of $50,774, 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 family therapist are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Mental Health Therapist | Family Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,259 | $50,774 |
| Hourly rate | $24.16 | $24.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 114,386 | 106,982 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.
Mental health therapists and family therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Therapist | Family Therapist | |
| Average salary | $50,259 | $50,774 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Tykes And Teens | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a mental health therapist and a family therapist in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Therapist | Family Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between mental health therapists' and family therapists' demographics:
| Mental Health Therapist | Family Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 6% |