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The differences between social services counselors and mental health clinicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a social services counselor and a mental health clinician. Additionally, a mental health clinician has an average salary of $54,359, which is higher than the $45,514 average annual salary of a social services counselor.
The top three skills for a social services counselor include social work, patients and social services. The most important skills for a mental health clinician are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Social Services Counselor | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,514 | $54,359 |
| Hourly rate | $21.88 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 151,229 | 91,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Social service counselors provide a wide range of counselling such as psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. They must evaluate patient data, do psychological tests, and apply their observations. They may also review clinical issues and programs. Typically, they work in institutions or private practices.
A Mental Health Clinician provides psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation services for patients with mental health problems. They manage the treatment of clients and help them to obtain stable physical health.
Social services counselors and mental health clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Services Counselor | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average salary | $45,514 | $54,359 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $65,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Mission Regional Medical Center | City and County of Denver Government |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a social services counselor and a mental health clinician in terms of educational background:
| Social Services Counselor | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between social services counselors' and mental health clinicians' demographics:
| Social Services Counselor | Mental Health Clinician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | 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 | 10% | 15% |