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The differences between mental health workers and community health workers 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 worker and a community health worker. Additionally, a mental health worker has an average salary of $41,081, which is higher than the $37,079 average annual salary of a community health worker.
The top three skills for a mental health worker include patients, crisis intervention and social work. The most important skills for a community health worker are patients, community health, and social work.
| Mental Health Worker | Community Health Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $41,081 | $37,079 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $17.83 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 144,879 | 82,445 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A mental health worker is an individual who provides basic care and therapy to patients who are inflicted with mental disabilities or developmental disabilities. Mental health workers assist patients with their daily activities, monitor their conditions, and administer therapeutic care. They may be directly supervised by a registered nurse and can work in facilities such as psychiatric hospitals and residential mental health facilities. They may also help develop treatment plans and strategies with other staff members to best meet patient needs.
A community health worker is a health professional who is a lay member of the community that provides health care in both urban and rural environments. Community health workers offer the health needs of the community they serve and provide some direct services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. They help people understand their health conditions and deliver health information by using appropriate cultural terms and concepts. Community health workers also make home visits to patients who are clinically ill, pregnant women, and individuals at high risk of health problems.
Mental health workers and community health workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Worker | Community Health Worker | |
| Average salary | $41,081 | $37,079 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a mental health worker and a community health worker in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Worker | Community Health Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between mental health workers' and community health workers' demographics:
| Mental Health Worker | Community Health Worker | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1% | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 5.8% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 21% |