Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between psychiatric social workers and mental health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a psychiatric social worker, becoming a mental health specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, which is higher than the $47,321 average annual salary of a mental health specialist.
The top three skills for a psychiatric social worker include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a mental health specialist are patients, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,144 | $47,321 |
| Hourly rate | $28.43 | $22.75 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 57,284 | 131,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A psychiatric social worker specializes in providing mental health treatments and other services to patients and their families, referring them to other agencies and programs as needed. They conduct assessments and interviews to determine the condition of patients, devise specific treatment and care plans, update and maintain patient records, conduct regular counseling sessions, and monitor the progress of every patient to ensure their health and welfare. They may also provide interventions, train junior psychiatric social workers, and conduct reviews and evaluations on existing care plans.
A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Psychiatric social workers and mental health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $59,144 | $47,321 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $79,000 | Between $31,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Highmark | Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a psychiatric social worker and a mental health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between psychiatric social workers' and mental health specialists' demographics:
| Psychiatric Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |