Mental health worker vs mental health therapist

The differences between mental health workers and mental health 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 worker and a mental health therapist. Additionally, a mental health therapist has an average salary of $50,259, 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 therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.

Mental health worker vs mental health therapist overview

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Yearly salary	$41,081	$50,259
Hourly rate	$19.75	$24.16
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	144,879	114,386
Job satisfaction	1	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	45
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 therapist do?

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 worker vs mental health therapist salary

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

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Average salary	$41,081	$50,259
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $35,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Tykes And Teens
Best paying industry	Professional	Non Profits

Differences between mental health worker and mental health therapist education

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

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health worker vs mental health therapist demographics

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

	Mental Health Worker	Mental Health Therapist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%
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%

Differences between mental health worker and mental health therapist 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 therapist example responsibilities.

Create and lead PTSD group for women, depression and stress management groups for men and women.
Collaborate with patients to develop individualize treatment plans and evaluate plans periodically to monitor progress towards achieving identify goals and objectives.
Provide clinical supervision for MFT intern and participate in peer to peer reviews.
Receive training in diagnoses, physical restraints and CPR.
Care for children with autism and document daily data collection.
Utilize therapy techniques from various modalities including EMDR, TF-CBT, and DBT

Mental health worker vs mental health therapist skills

Common mental health worker skills

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

Common mental health therapist skills

Social Work, 35%
Patients, 10%
Mental Health, 6%
Group Therapy Sessions, 5%
Mental Health Issues, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

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Mental Health Worker vs Mental Health Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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