Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between admissions advisors and program advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program advisor has an average salary of $55,656, which is higher than the $54,192 average annual salary of an admissions advisor.
The top three skills for an admissions advisor include customer service, admissions process and outbound calls. The most important skills for a program advisor are customer service, persistence, and intellectual disabilities.
| Admissions Advisor | Program Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $54,192 | $55,656 |
| Hourly rate | $26.05 | $26.76 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,433 | 109,307 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
A program advisor is in charge of overseeing programs from planning to execution, ensuring everything functions according to its goals and guidelines. Although their responsibilities depend on their line of work and industry of employment, it typically involves performing research and analysis to find new opportunities and determine ideal practices, gathering and analyzing client feedback, setting objectives, and developing strategies to carry out the purpose of every program, prioritizing optimal services. Moreover, a program advisor must monitor the progress of all operations, recommending solutions should any problems arise.
Admissions advisors and program advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Admissions Advisor | Program Advisor | |
| Average salary | $54,192 | $55,656 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $106,000 | Between $32,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Merced, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tenet Healthcare | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between an admissions advisor and a program advisor in terms of educational background:
| Admissions Advisor | Program Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between admissions advisors' and program advisors' demographics:
| Admissions Advisor | Program Advisor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| 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% |