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Adult school counselor vs behavioral specialist

The differences between adult school counselors and behavioral specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an adult school counselor and a behavioral specialist. Additionally, an adult school counselor has an average salary of $51,207, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.

The top three skills for an adult school counselor include social work, substance abuse and community resources. The most important skills for a behavioral specialist are mental health, autism, and applied behavior analysis.

Adult school counselor vs behavioral specialist overview

Adult School CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Yearly salary$51,207$42,029
Hourly rate$24.62$20.21
Growth rate10%12%
Number of jobs48,78174,968
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age3939
Years of experience66

Adult school counselor vs behavioral specialist salary

Adult school counselors and behavioral specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Adult School CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Average salary$51,207$42,029
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $68,000Between $28,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Barbarian
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between adult school counselor and behavioral specialist education

There are a few differences between an adult school counselor and a behavioral specialist in terms of educational background:

Adult School CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Adult school counselor vs behavioral specialist demographics

Here are the differences between adult school counselors' and behavioral specialists' demographics:

Adult School CounselorBehavioral Specialist
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 31.1% Female, 68.9%Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between adult school counselor and behavioral specialist duties and responsibilities

Adult school counselor example responsibilities.

  • Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
  • Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
  • Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

Behavioral specialist example responsibilities.

  • Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
  • Implement a CPR training program for 20 staff serving 50 clients with mental illness.
  • Guide student achievement according to district's math content standards, utilizing identify needs information.
  • Assist children with autism or other developmental disabilities with activities and therapeutic socialization to improve social skills and academic performance.
  • Attend ETR meetings and provide input on students.
  • Sanitize toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
  • Show more

Adult school counselor vs behavioral specialist skills

Common adult school counselor skills
  • Social Work, 24%
  • Substance Abuse, 22%
  • Community Resources, 15%
  • Group Therapy, 10%
  • Discharge Planning, 3%
  • Social Services, 3%
Common behavioral specialist skills
  • Mental Health, 10%
  • Autism, 10%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 7%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Social Work, 6%

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