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The differences between outreach counselors and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $45,946 average annual salary of an outreach counselor.
The top three skills for an outreach counselor include social work, rehabilitation and mental illness. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Outreach Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,946 | $49,471 |
| Hourly rate | $22.09 | $23.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 77,659 | 110,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
The outreach counselor seeks people that need help and care. It is the main task of an outreach counselor to assist people experiencing hardships and difficulties in life. Many areas in society need the skills of an outreach counselor; foremost is schools and welfare organizations. The outreach counselor requests assistance, determines eligibility, and facilitates various outreach programs and events. The outreach counselor is expected to provide assistance to clients and guide them through all the processes in getting benefits from outreach organizations.
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.
Outreach counselors and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Outreach Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $45,946 | $49,471 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salinas, CA | Longview, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bristol Community College | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an outreach counselor and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Outreach Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | 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 outreach counselors' and mental health counselors' demographics:
| Outreach Counselor | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% 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 | 11% | 15% |