Relief counselor vs mental health counselor

The differences between relief 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 relief counselor and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a mental health counselor has an average salary of $49,471, which is higher than the $36,049 average annual salary of a relief counselor.

The top three skills for a relief counselor include crisis intervention, ADL and behavior management. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Relief counselor vs mental health counselor overview

	Relief Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,049	$49,471
Hourly rate	$17.33	$23.78
Growth rate	36%	9%
Number of jobs	32,787	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Relief counselor vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Relief Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$36,049	$49,471
Salary range	Between $27,000 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 relief counselor and mental health counselor education

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

	Relief Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Relief counselor vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Relief Counselor	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%	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 relief counselor and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Relief counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and patients' progress in resolving identify problems and moving towards define objectives.
Provide leadership and direction to new and existing staff members; identify training development assuring that training/certification are obtained and maintain.

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.

Relief counselor vs mental health counselor skills

Common relief counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 14%
ADL, 11%
Behavior Management, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%

Common mental health counselor skills

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

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Relief Counselor
Relief Counselor vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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