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The differences between patient care technicians and mental health technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patient care technician has an average salary of $32,806, which is higher than the $32,118 average annual salary of a mental health technician.
The top three skills for a patient care technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a mental health technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
Patient Care Technician | Mental Health Technician | |
Yearly Salary | $32,806 | $32,118 |
Hourly rate | $15.77 | $15.44 |
Growth Rate | 9% | 9% |
Number Of Jobs | 167,520 | 103,710 |
Job Satisfaction | 5 | - |
Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
Average Age | 34 | 34 |
Years Of Experience | - | - |
Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.
A mental health technician's primary responsibility is to provide care and assistance to patients with mental health issues. Their tasks mainly revolve around administering scheduled and prescribed medication, monitoring vital signs, assisting during therapy sessions, and assessing patients' progress and behavior. They may also have administrative support tasks such as processing necessary documentation, preparing reports, managing schedules, and even reaching out to patients' guardians and families. A mental health technician may also build a healthy rapport with patients, giving them guidance and positive influence.
Patient care technicians and mental health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
Patient Care Technician | Mental Health Technician | |
Average Salary | $32,806 | $32,118 |
Salary Range | Between $24,000 And $43,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
Highest Paying City | Rochester, NH | Sacramento, CA |
Highest Paying State | Vermont | Vermont |
Best Paying Company | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | CARE |
Best Paying Industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a mental health technician in terms of educational background:
Patient Care Technician | Mental Health Technician | |
Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
Most Common Major | Nursing | Psychology |
Most Common College | Emory University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and mental health technicians' demographics:
Patient Care Technician | Mental Health Technician | |
Average Age | 34 | 34 |
Gender Ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% |
Race Ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |