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The differences between therapists and behavioral health technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a therapist has an average salary of $55,943, which is higher than the $34,611 average annual salary of a behavioral health technician.
The top three skills for a therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for a behavioral health technician are patients, behavioral health, and crisis intervention.
| Therapist | Behavioral Health Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $55,943 | $34,611 |
| Hourly rate | $26.90 | $16.64 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 159,770 | 99,503 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
A behavioral health technician participates in treating patients with behavioral problems caused by mental health issues. They are primarily responsible for monitoring the behavior of the patient, following the guidelines of treatment from a mental health professional, and regularly reporting any progress or problems. Moreover, a behavioral health technician must also carry out administrative tasks, which include producing reports and assessments, answering inquiries and correspondence, maintaining schedules, and keeping records. Furthermore, it is essential to give emotional support to a patient, providing them with a safe and healthy environment at all times.
Therapists and behavioral health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapist | Behavioral Health Technician | |
| Average salary | $55,943 | $34,611 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $25,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Childhelp | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a therapist and a behavioral health technician in terms of educational background:
| Therapist | Behavioral Health Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between therapists' and behavioral health technicians' demographics:
| Therapist | Behavioral Health Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 15% |