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Patient Care Technician Vs Mental Health Technician

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 vs mental health technician overview

Patient Care TechnicianMental Health Technician
Yearly Salary$32,806$32,118
Hourly rate$15.77$15.44
Growth Rate9%9%
Number Of Jobs167,520103,710
Job Satisfaction5-
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average Age3434
Years Of Experience--

What does a Patient Care Technician do?

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.

What does a mental health technician do?

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 technician vs mental health technician salary

Patient care technicians and mental health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Patient Care TechnicianMental Health Technician
Average Salary$32,806$32,118
Salary RangeBetween $24,000 And $43,000Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest Paying CityRochester, NHSacramento, CA
Highest Paying StateVermontVermont
Best Paying CompanyBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterCARE
Best Paying IndustryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between patient care technician and mental health technician education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a mental health technician in terms of educational background:

Patient Care TechnicianMental Health Technician
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most Common MajorNursingPsychology
Most Common CollegeEmory UniversityCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Patient care technician vs mental health technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and mental health technicians' demographics:

Patient Care TechnicianMental Health Technician
Average Age3434
Gender RatioMale, 19.0% Female, 81.0%Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race RatioBlack 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 Percentage15%15%

Differences between patient care technician and mental health technician duties and responsibilities

Patient Care Technician Example Responsibilities.

  • Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
  • Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
  • Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
  • Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
  • Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
  • Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.
  • Show More

Mental Health Technician Example Responsibilities.

  • Prevent and manage aggressive behavior among patients and administer CPR in emergency intervention.
  • Assist and organize workshops consisting of education, personal self-defense, CPR, and other techniques relating to mental health patients.
  • Assist in taking care of mental health patients, doing rounds on the ward, helping patients with compassion and care.
  • Apply immeasurable levels of compassion to preserve and safeguard the dignity of patients at all times.
  • Observe patient behaviors, if patients become physically violent, CPI training restraint techniques may become necessary.
  • Conduct patient rounds, assist with ADL care, offer therapeutic support, and provide written reports on assign patients
  • Show More

Patient care technician vs mental health technician skills

Common Patient Care Technician Skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Vital Signs, 9%
  • Phlebotomy, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Direct Patient Care, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
Common Mental Health Technician Skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Vital Signs, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Social Work, 5%
  • Crisis Intervention, 5%
  • Patient Safety, 4%

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