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The differences between therapists and mental health therapists 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 $50,259 average annual salary of a mental health therapist.
The top three skills for a therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for a mental health therapist are social work, patients, and mental health.
| Therapist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,943 | $50,259 |
| Hourly rate | $26.90 | $24.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 159,770 | 114,386 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
The job of mental health therapists is to guide individuals, groups, couples, and families with problems that are impacting their well-being and mental health. Their duties and responsibilities include encouraging clients to talk about their experiences, examining issues that may affect mental health such as substance abuse and bullying, and assisting clients in defining their goals and action plans. Mental health therapists are also responsible for developing therapeutic processes, referring clients to other services or resources like psychologists, and helping them adjust to life changes.
Therapists and mental health therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average salary | $55,943 | $50,259 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Childhelp | Tykes And Teens |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a therapist and a mental health therapist in terms of educational background:
| Therapist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between therapists' and mental health therapists' demographics:
| Therapist | Mental Health Therapist | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| 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, 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 | 12% | 15% |