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The differences between mental health workers and residential 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 residential counselor. Additionally, a mental health worker has an average salary of $41,081, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a mental health worker include patients, crisis intervention and social work. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Mental Health Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $41,081 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 144,879 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| 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 residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Mental health workers and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $41,081 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a mental health worker and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 residential counselors' demographics:
| Mental Health Worker | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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% |