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Career counselor vs career advisor

The differences between career counselors and career advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a career counselor has an average salary of $44,870, which is higher than the $40,067 average annual salary of a career advisor.

The top three skills for a career counselor include career development, career services and professional development. The most important skills for a career advisor are customer service, career development, and professional development.

Career counselor vs career advisor overview

Career CounselorCareer Advisor
Yearly salary$44,870$40,067
Hourly rate$21.57$19.26
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs42,03572,536
Job satisfaction53
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a career counselor do?

A career counselor specializes in assisting clients in their career-related decisions. Utilizing their expertise in career development, they typically meet with clients to discuss their short-term and long-term goals, identify their needs and concerns, conduct different aptitude tests and examinations, organize skills assessment procedures, and provide strategies to improve or enhance their skills and abilities. Aside from providing consultations, a career counselor may also assist clients in processing and establishing their resumes, supporting them every step of the way.

What does a career advisor do?

A career advisor inspects the clients' career uncertainties, concerns, and aspirations and guides them through the adjacent test completion, personality, and aptitude test completion. They review the clients' educational undertaking and personal undertakings and how their manifestation can affect their job choices. Besides proposing career options congruent with the clients' substantiated insights, career advisors also inform clients about their potential skill set shortcomings and devise strategies to correct these shortcomings. Moreover, career advisors advise clients on the right way to compile and present their resumes.

Career counselor vs career advisor salary

Career counselors and career advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Career CounselorCareer Advisor
Average salary$44,870$40,067
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $60,000Between $30,000 And $52,000
Highest paying CityLos Angeles, CALos Angeles, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkEmerson College
Best paying industryTechnologyGovernment

Differences between career counselor and career advisor education

There are a few differences between a career counselor and a career advisor in terms of educational background:

Career CounselorCareer Advisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Career counselor vs career advisor demographics

Here are the differences between career counselors' and career advisors' demographics:

Career CounselorCareer Advisor
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 42.4% Female, 57.6%Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between career counselor and career advisor duties and responsibilities

Career counselor example responsibilities.

  • Monitor and manage IEP forms and certifications to adhere to program requirements.
  • Interpret PSAT results with parents and students through education workshop.
  • Coordinate transitioning veterans with community hiring facilities in the areas of their desire location.
  • Provide information to individuals on matters pertaining to social security, veterans administration, and uniform service health benefits program.
  • Provide testing, including TABE, Proveit and Oscar.
  • Develop new intake orientation and TABE testing process for prospective participants.

Career advisor example responsibilities.

  • Develop and facilitate outplacement programs across healthcare, scientific research and higher education sectors.
  • Contract to provide MBTI workshops for corporations.
  • Identify personal abilities, individual strengths and transferable skills for government, private and non-profit sectors.
  • Perform system conversion from Quickbooks to Yardi accounting and property management software.

Career counselor vs career advisor skills

Common career counselor skills
  • Career Development, 12%
  • Career Services, 7%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • Career Planning, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Career Exploration, 5%
Common career advisor skills
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Career Development, 9%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • Career Services, 6%
  • Career Planning, 4%

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