Mental health worker vs program counselor

The differences between mental health workers and program 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 program counselor. Additionally, a program counselor has an average salary of $43,820, 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 program counselor are developmental disabilities, patients, and community integration.

Mental health worker vs program counselor overview

	Mental Health Worker	Program Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,081	$43,820
Hourly rate	$19.75	$21.07
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	144,879	133,491
Job satisfaction	1	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
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 program counselor do?

A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum. This person is also tasked to help students resolve issues and problems that may hinder any educational progress. They are also part of the disciplinary team intended to instill good morals, ethics, and decency in students. The Program Counselor is one of the teacher or professor who has expertise or has a high educational degree in a particular subject or field.

Mental health worker vs program counselor salary

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

	Mental Health Worker	Program Counselor
Average salary	$41,081	$43,820
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $33,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Russell Sage College
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between mental health worker and program counselor education

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

	Mental Health Worker	Program Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Mental health worker vs program counselor demographics

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

	Mental Health Worker	Program Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
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 program 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.

Program counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Provide education, within hospital setting, to adolescent psychiatric patients regarding substance abuse and dependency issues.
Receive CPR and first aid certifications.
Attend and receive CPR and basic restraint technique certifications.
Assist each client with compassion to encourage them on their journey to recovery.
Encourage and mentore residents during their recovery and rehabilitation process.

Mental health worker vs program counselor skills

Common mental health worker skills

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

Common program counselor skills

Developmental Disabilities, 11%
Patients, 11%
Community Integration, 9%
CPR, 8%
Social Work, 8%
Medication Administration, 7%

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Mental Health Worker vs Program Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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