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The differences between mental health therapists and mental health practitioners 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 mental health practitioner. Additionally, a mental health practitioner has an average salary of $50,628, 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 practitioner are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Yearly salary | $50,259 | $50,628 |
| Hourly rate | $24.16 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 114,386 | 140,365 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| 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.
Mental health practitioners are medical professionals who work with patients who have mental health issues such as schizophrenia, split personality disorder, and depression. These practitioners are required to develop and implement patient care plans for adults with severe mental disabilities while providing mental health services to attain improved mental health. They must make sure that patients did not spit out their medicines by observing post medication administration with the nurse. Mental health practitioners must also manage therapeutic activities that will teach patients about functional living skills.
Mental health therapists and mental health practitioners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average salary | $50,259 | $50,628 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Tykes And Teens | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a mental health therapist and a mental health practitioner in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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 mental health practitioners' demographics:
| Mental Health Therapist | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |