Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between academic guidance specialists and student 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 $33,392 average annual salary of a student mentor.
The top three skills for an academic guidance specialist include professional development, social work and student retention. The most important skills for a student mentor are role model, student life, and mathematics.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,630 | $33,392 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $16.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 18,180 | 18,591 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 student mentor is responsible for guiding the students on their educational and professional development by encouraging the students to reach their maximum potential, helping them with their study habits and academic concerns. Student mentors widen the social connection of the students by recommending them to join school activities and other educational organizations. They analyze the students' strengths and weaknesses and implement strategies to address those difficulties. A student mentor also advises the students of their potential careers, considering their interests and social experience.
Academic guidance specialists and student mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Average salary | $50,630 | $33,392 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $74,000 | Between $23,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Michigan State University | Research Foundation of The City University of New York |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an academic guidance specialist and a student mentor in terms of educational background:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between academic guidance specialists' and student mentors' demographics:
| Academic Guidance Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0% |
| 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% |