Area counselor vs guidance counselor

The differences between area counselors and guidance counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an area counselor has an average salary of $51,394, which is higher than the $48,154 average annual salary of a guidance counselor.

The top three skills for an area counselor include legal advice, litigation and legal services. The most important skills for a guidance counselor are crisis intervention, community resources, and mental health.

Area counselor vs guidance counselor overview

	Area Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Yearly salary	$51,394	$48,154
Hourly rate	$24.71	$23.15
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	36,634	75,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	4	-

Area counselor vs guidance counselor salary

Area counselors and guidance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Area Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Average salary	$51,394	$48,154
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $86,000	Between $36,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Poly Prep Country Day School
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between area counselor and guidance counselor education

There are a few differences between an area counselor and a guidance counselor in terms of educational background:

	Area Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Law	School Counseling
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Area counselor vs guidance counselor demographics

Here are the differences between area counselors' and guidance counselors' demographics:

	Area Counselor	Guidance Counselor
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0%	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	10%	11%

Differences between area counselor and guidance counselor duties and responsibilities

Area counselor example responsibilities.

Manage employment and commercial litigation.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Attend corporate leadership and management courses.
Prepare and review requests for litigation and settlements.
Supervise international business litigation and arbitration.
Supervise international business litigation and arbitration.

Guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
Administer TACHS, PSAT, and other statewide examinations.
Provide individual counseling to students upon their request, SST referrals, or that of a teacher.
Utilize RTI for curriculum design and to identify students in need of extra academic & behavioral support.
Contribute to IEP manifestation meetings with students-parents-teachers.
Complete student educational assessments for upcoming IEP meetings.

Area counselor vs guidance counselor skills

Common area counselor skills

Legal Advice, 43%
Litigation, 31%
Legal Services, 22%
Criminal Defense, 4%

Common guidance counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 10%
Community Resources, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Professional Development, 4%
Financial Aid, 4%
Conflict Resolution, 4%

Area Counselor vs. similar jobs

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Legal Industry
Area Counselor
Area Counselor vs Guidance Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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