Mental health worker vs mental health counselor

The differences between mental health workers and mental health counselors 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 mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $41,081 average annual salary of a mental health worker.

The top three skills for a mental health worker include patients, crisis intervention and social work. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Mental health worker vs mental health counselor overview

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,081	$49,471
Hourly rate	$19.75	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	144,879	110,752
Job satisfaction	1	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a mental health worker do?

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.

What does a mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.

Mental health worker vs mental health counselor salary

Mental health workers and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$41,081	$49,471
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between mental health worker and mental health counselor education

There are a few differences between a mental health worker and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health worker vs mental health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between mental health workers' and mental health counselors' demographics:

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between mental health worker and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Mental health worker example responsibilities.

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Train in provision of CPI, CPR, food handling, infection control and basic nursing care.
Provide direct care to patients under direction and guidance of professional nursing personnel within a mental illness psychiatric outpatient hospital.
Assist patients in becoming accustom to hospital routine and encourage them to participate in social and recreational activities to promote rehabilitation.
Provide referrals to appropriate multidisciplinary services, including mental health, drug/alcohol rehabilitation services, and medical and physical/occupational therapy services.
Conduct crisis stabilization via sanction CPI techniques with staff assistance.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Mental health worker vs mental health counselor skills

Common mental health worker skills

Patients, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Social Work, 6%
CPR, 5%
Vital Signs, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Mental Health Worker vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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