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The differences between academic guidance specialists and peer mentors 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 $28,416 average annual salary of a peer mentor.
The top three skills for an academic guidance specialist include professional development, social work and student retention. The most important skills for a peer mentor are mental health, role model, and mathematics.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Peer Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,630 | $28,416 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $13.66 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 18,180 | 1,199 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
A peer mentor is an individual who builds a relationship with another person or mentee who is new to the career or at the same level. Peer mentors must serve as a social role model and educate mentees on various resources and services. They coordinate and facilitate social programs and training and discuss any mentee concerns with the top management. Peer mentors are also required to maintain confidentiality with any shared information between mentors and mentees.
Academic guidance specialists and peer mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Peer Mentor | |
| Average salary | $50,630 | $28,416 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $21,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Brockton, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Michigan State University | Saint Xavier University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an academic guidance specialist and a peer mentor in terms of educational background:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Peer Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between academic guidance specialists' and peer mentors' demographics:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Peer Mentor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3% |
| 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% |