Admissions counselor vs student recruiter

The differences between admissions counselors and student recruiters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student recruiter has an average salary of $42,012, which is higher than the $39,298 average annual salary of an admissions counselor.

The top three skills for an admissions counselor include customer service, patients and social work. The most important skills for a student recruiter are student recruitment, recruitment efforts, and recruitment events.

Admissions counselor vs student recruiter overview

	Admissions Counselor	Student Recruiter
Yearly salary	$39,298	$42,012
Hourly rate	$18.89	$20.20
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	43,413	37,196
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does an admissions counselor do?

An admissions counselor is the primary point of contact between a university or college and their potential students. One of their primary responsibilities is to represent the school during various events for recruitment purposes, discuss the admission procedures to the students and their families through calls or appointments, and facilitate university tours and orientation among prospective students. Furthermore, they must gather applicants' requirements, verify their authenticity, and determine if they are qualified for the institution. They may also decide student admissions, all while adhering to the college's policies and guidelines.

What does a student recruiter do?

A student recruiter is in charge of developing strategies to recruit potential students for graduate or undergraduate programs at colleges and universities. Although the extent of their duties depends on their institution of employment, it typically includes developing promotional materials such as PowerPoint presentations and brochures, participating in college fairs and similar gatherings to represent the institution and reach out to students, handing out contact information, answering inquiries, and communicating with high schools. Moreover, a student recruiter may facilitate campus tours and assist students in filling up forms and other procedures.

Admissions counselor vs student recruiter salary

Admissions counselors and student recruiters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Admissions Counselor	Student Recruiter
Average salary	$39,298	$42,012
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $50,000	Between $29,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	New York
Best paying company	School of Visual Concepts	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between admissions counselor and student recruiter education

There are a few differences between an admissions counselor and a student recruiter in terms of educational background:

	Admissions Counselor	Student Recruiter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Admissions counselor vs student recruiter demographics

Here are the differences between admissions counselors' and student recruiters' demographics:

	Admissions Counselor	Student Recruiter
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%	Male, 44.5% Female, 55.5%
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%

Differences between admissions counselor and student recruiter duties and responsibilities

Admissions counselor example responsibilities.

Manage applicant and student files electronically within CampusVue software.
Verify insurance HMO, Medicare or Medicaid.
Assist in PV's marketing efforts by reaching out to alumni and community.
Evaluate transcripts, convert quarterly hours to semester hours as necessary, and calculate the GPA.
Receive and execute hundreds of phone calls and e-mails daily from students and parents inquiring about CSU.
Give campus tours to prospective students and families; make phone calls to incoming students for CSU events and admissions follow-up.

Student recruiter example responsibilities.

Manage and supervise an admission department organization for student ambassadors.
Assist current multicultural student's mentors to become student ambassadors and leaders to new incoming freshman.
Provide backup support for admissions and registration functions requiring knowledge of appropriate PeopleSoft applications and automate registration systems.
Design and prepare PowerPoint presentations, brochures, posters, flyers, etc.
Assist students and families through the application process, registering for classes, and answer questions regarding FAFSA.
Provide training to teaching staff on different aspects of the IEP process.

Admissions counselor vs student recruiter skills

Common admissions counselor skills

Customer Service, 14%
Patients, 13%
Social Work, 8%
Admissions Process, 6%
Phone Calls, 4%
Financial Aid, 4%

Common student recruiter skills

Student Recruitment, 20%
Recruitment Efforts, 6%
Recruitment Events, 6%
Phone Calls, 5%
Alumni, 4%
CRM, 4%

Admissions Counselor vs. similar jobs

Admissions Counselor related careers

Admissions Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Admissions Counselor
Admissions Counselor vs Student Recruiter

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs