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The differences between school psychologists and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a school psychologist, becoming a mental health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a school psychologist has an average salary of $78,431, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.
The top three skills for a school psychologist include professional development, mental health and psychological services. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| School Psychologist | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $78,431 | $49,471 |
| Hourly rate | $37.71 | $23.78 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 25,457 | 110,752 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
School psychologists are knowledgeable professionals whose responsibilities include identifying, addressing, and overcoming the educational and behavioral needs of school-aged children. They generally work in schools and focus their observations on children and youth who often face issues related to education, social relationships, decision-making, as well as managing emotions. They help families, counselors, and members of the community understand and solve these issues the children may encounter. Additionally, they provide comprehensive psychological services to help students achieve academic, behavioral, social, and emotional success.
A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.
School psychologists and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Psychologist | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $78,431 | $49,471 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $110,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Longview, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | CORA Services | Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a school psychologist and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:
| School Psychologist | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between school psychologists' and mental health counselors' demographics:
| School Psychologist | Mental Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 12% | 15% |