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The differences between activities counselors and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an activities counselor and a residential counselor. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, 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 residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Activities Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $31,084 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $14.94 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 31,248 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Activities counselors and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activities Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $31,084 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between an activities counselor and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Activities Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between activities counselors' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Activities Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 15% |