Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between academic guidance specialists and guidance counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an academic guidance specialist has an average salary of $50,630, which is higher than the $48,154 average annual salary of a guidance counselor.
The top three skills for an academic guidance specialist include professional development, social work and student retention. The most important skills for a guidance counselor are crisis intervention, community resources, and mental health.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Guidance Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,630 | $48,154 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $23.15 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 18,180 | 75,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An academic guidance specialist conducts individual planning, interviews, and aptitude assessments to evaluate learners' interests and abilities. They identify issues affecting the student's performance, like not attending all classes. Besides working with parents, administrators, and teachers to help learners succeed, academic guidance specialists also help learners create a program to attain career goals and academic objectives. They help learners develop skills like effective learning habits, time management abilities, and organizational abilities. Moreover, these professionals maintain records as needed.
The primary role of a Guidance Counselor is to help students develop skills for success, both in academics and social development. They also develop and implement educational and counseling plans with modern methods of teaching and mentoring.
Academic guidance specialists and guidance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Guidance Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,630 | $48,154 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $36,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Michigan State University | Poly Prep Country Day School |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an academic guidance specialist and a guidance counselor in terms of educational background:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Guidance Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | School Counseling |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between academic guidance specialists' and guidance counselors' demographics:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Guidance Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |