Phone counselor vs mental health counselor

The differences between phone counselors and mental health 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 phone counselor and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $38,285 average annual salary of a phone counselor.

The top three skills for a phone counselor include social work, crisis calls and crisis planning. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Phone counselor vs mental health counselor overview

	Phone Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$38,285	$49,471
Hourly rate	$18.41	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	75,943	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Phone counselor vs mental health counselor salary

Phone counselors and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Phone Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$38,285	$49,471
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $47,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between phone counselor and mental health counselor education

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

	Phone Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Phone counselor vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Phone Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratio	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%	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 phone counselor and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Phone counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Provide individual assessments, treatment planning and psychotherapy services to culturally diverse adult female population in need of rehabilitation services.
Listen to clients' concerns about HIV/AIDS relate treatment.
Facilitate groups of children with ADHD and also a self-esteem group for adults.
Provide counseling for individuals, children and adults for depression, anxiety, ADHD, personality disorders and other behavioral disorders.
Specialize in individual, relationship, marital, custody, anxiety, depression, trauma resolution, and PTSD.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Phone counselor vs mental health counselor skills

Common phone counselor skills

Social Work, 27%
Crisis Calls, 23%
Crisis Planning, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Suicide Prevention, 8%
Mental Illness, 5%

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Phone Counselor vs. similar jobs

Phone Counselor related careers

Phone Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Phone Counselor
Phone Counselor vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs