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The differences between admissions advisors and admissions specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an admissions advisor has an average salary of $54,192, which is higher than the $36,140 average annual salary of an admissions specialist.
The top three skills for an admissions advisor include customer service, admissions process and outbound calls. The most important skills for an admissions specialist are patients, customer service, and social work.
| Admissions Advisor | Admissions Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,192 | $36,140 |
| Hourly rate | $26.05 | $17.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,433 | 17,384 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The admissions advisor's work involves meeting with potential students and organizing recruitment events in the admissions offices of colleges and universities. Their tasks also include informing students and families about the application process, requirements for admission, financial aid, and enrollment steps. Moreover, they can answer frequently asked questions about the school to help potential students decide whether it is a good fit. In addition, they may also leave campus to help in promoting the school at college and university fairs.
An admissions specialist's main role is to provide timely, accurate, and complete evaluation service of academic credentials for incoming first-year and transferee students, as well as existing enrolled students. They serve as a vital member of the evaluation team to ensure a smooth and timely evaluation process. They also support the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in overall function from enrollment processing, application of student files, reviewing the transcript of records to evaluate academic credentials of incoming freshmen students, and transferee applicants.
Admissions advisors and admissions specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Admissions Advisor | Admissions Specialist | |
| Average salary | $54,192 | $36,140 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $106,000 | Between $27,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Merced, CA | Fresno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tenet Healthcare | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an admissions advisor and an admissions specialist in terms of educational background:
| Admissions Advisor | Admissions Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between admissions advisors' and admissions specialists' demographics:
| Admissions Advisor | Admissions Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3% | Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7% |
| 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% |