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The differences between mental health therapists and mental health nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mental health therapist, becoming a mental health nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a mental health nurse has an average salary of $106,812, 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 mental health nurse are patients, psychiatric mental, and PMHNP.
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $50,259 | $106,812 |
| Hourly rate | $24.16 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 114,386 | 86,884 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 mental health nurse is responsible for assisting with the diagnosis and treatment plans of patients with mental health complications. Mental health nurses handle high-quality nursing care under mental health professionals' supervision within a hospital or mental health institution. They support in performing therapeutic activities, administering medical examinations, and counseling patients to know more about their conditions. A mental health nurse also does administrative tasks as needed, such as organizing and updating patients' information on the database, processing treatment payments, and responding to the family's inquiries and concerns.
Mental health therapists and mental health nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Nurse | |
| Average salary | $50,259 | $106,812 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $62,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Tykes And Teens | Community Health Systems |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Government |
There are a few differences between a mental health therapist and a mental health nurse in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Nursing |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Duke University |
Here are the differences between mental health therapists' and mental health nurses' demographics:
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Nurse | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |