Activities counselor vs guidance counselor

The differences between activities counselors and guidance counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a guidance counselor has an average salary of $48,154, which is higher than the $31,084 average annual salary of an activities counselor.

The top three skills for an activities counselor include CPR, youth ages and direct supervision. The most important skills for a guidance counselor are crisis intervention, community resources, and mental health.

Activities counselor vs guidance counselor overview

	Activities Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Yearly salary	$31,084	$48,154
Hourly rate	$14.94	$23.15
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	31,248	75,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	-

Activities counselor vs guidance counselor salary

Activities counselors and guidance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Activities Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Average salary	$31,084	$48,154
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $36,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Poly Prep Country Day School
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between activities counselor and guidance counselor education

There are a few differences between an activities counselor and a guidance counselor in terms of educational background:

	Activities Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Psychology	School Counseling
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Activities counselor vs guidance counselor demographics

Here are the differences between activities counselors' and guidance counselors' demographics:

	Activities Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	8%	11%

Differences between activities counselor and guidance counselor duties and responsibilities

Activities counselor example responsibilities.

Lead groups of children and youth weekly in spiritual growth, bible study, and fellowship.
Educate campers to manage their diabetes independently bypracticing in team excercises.
Provide supervision and manage delinquent youthful offenders, in a secure residential correctional treatment facility.
Certify lifeguard, CPR, archery instructor, and adventure course team member.
Certify lifeguard, first-aid, & CPR leader who ensure safety and well-being for all campers.
Plan and run children's activities on the ship.

Guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
Administer TACHS, PSAT, and other statewide examinations.
Provide individual counseling to students upon their request, SST referrals, or that of a teacher.
Utilize RTI for curriculum design and to identify students in need of extra academic & behavioral support.
Contribute to IEP manifestation meetings with students-parents-teachers.
Complete student educational assessments for upcoming IEP meetings.

Activities counselor vs guidance counselor skills

Common activities counselor skills

CPR, 26%
Youth Ages, 21%
Direct Supervision, 11%
Mental Health, 6%
Front Desk, 5%
RAN, 3%

Common guidance counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 10%
Community Resources, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Professional Development, 4%
Financial Aid, 4%
Conflict Resolution, 4%

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Activities Counselor
Activities Counselor vs Guidance Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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