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The differences between academic guidance specialists and school 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 $49,562 average annual salary of a school 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 school guidance counselor are crisis intervention, community agencies, and professional development.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | School Guidance Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,630 | $49,562 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $23.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 18,180 | 82,545 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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.
School Guidance Counselors assess students' ability and potential, provide private counseling, and coordinate with fellow professionals on student matters. To help students in realizing their objectives, school guidance counselors evaluate their attributes. Also, they identify behavioral problems and appropriately to remedy the situation. Part of their duties is to cooperate with parents, external partners, and academic staff. To succeed, these guidance counselors must be authentic and accessible with good communication skills and a profound interest in helping students to achieve career and academic goals.
Academic guidance specialists and school guidance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | School Guidance Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,630 | $49,562 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $36,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Michigan State University | Tolleson Union High School District |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an academic guidance specialist and a school guidance counselor in terms of educational background:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | School Guidance Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Psychology | School Counseling |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between academic guidance specialists' and school guidance counselors' demographics:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | School Guidance Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% |
| 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% |