Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health therapists and primary 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 primary therapist. Additionally, a primary therapist has an average salary of $59,826, 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 primary therapist are patients, social work, and group therapy sessions.
| Mental Health Therapist | Primary Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,259 | $59,826 |
| Hourly rate | $24.16 | $28.76 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 114,386 | 85,127 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.
Mental health therapists and primary therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Therapist | Primary Therapist | |
| Average salary | $50,259 | $59,826 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $43,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Tykes And Teens | Appalachian Regional Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a mental health therapist and a primary therapist in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Therapist | Primary Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 49% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| 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 primary therapists' demographics:
| Mental Health Therapist | Primary Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% | Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9% |
| 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% |