Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health workers 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 worker and a mental health practitioner. Additionally, a mental health practitioner has an average salary of $50,628, 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 practitioner are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Mental Health Worker | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Yearly salary | $41,081 | $50,628 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 144,879 | 140,365 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| 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.
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 workers and mental health practitioners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Worker | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average salary | $41,081 | $50,628 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a mental health worker and a mental health practitioner in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Worker | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| 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 |
Here are the differences between mental health workers' and mental health practitioners' demographics:
| Mental Health Worker | Mental Health Practitioner | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1% | 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% |