Career guidance counselor vs student services counselor

The differences between career guidance counselors and student services counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a career guidance counselor has an average salary of $54,429, which is higher than the $41,175 average annual salary of a student services counselor.

The top three skills for a career guidance counselor include PSAT, K-12 and GED. The most important skills for a student services counselor are customer service, financial aid, and student services.

Career guidance counselor vs student services counselor overview

	Career Guidance Counselor	Student Services Counselor
Yearly salary	$54,429	$41,175
Hourly rate	$26.17	$19.80
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	29,185	104,698
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Career guidance counselor vs student services counselor salary

Career guidance counselors and student services counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Career Guidance Counselor	Student Services Counselor
Average salary	$54,429	$41,175
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $94,000	Between $27,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between career guidance counselor and student services counselor education

There are a few differences between a career guidance counselor and a student services counselor in terms of educational background:

	Career Guidance Counselor	Student Services Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Career guidance counselor vs student services counselor demographics

Here are the differences between career guidance counselors' and student services counselors' demographics:

	Career Guidance Counselor	Student Services Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%
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 career guidance counselor and student services counselor duties and responsibilities

Career guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
Shadow middle school guidance counselor during student counseling sessions, individualize education program (IEP) meetings, and staff meetings
Participate in weekly student services/crisis team meetings and regular IEP meetings.
Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

Student services counselor example responsibilities.

Assist in all aspects of the FAFSA, insuring that every eligible student apply accurately.
Verify FAFSA applications for accuracy.
Plan retention and recruitment opportunities for students, prospective employers and alumni through interdepartmental and professional cooperative efforts.
Create, construct and maintain a student info PowerPoint presentation.
Draft general email correspondence, introduction/thank you letters, excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
Develop formal policies/procedures for daily operations such as program approvals/tracking, financial tracking systems, staff meetings and leadership opportunities.

Career guidance counselor vs student services counselor skills

Common career guidance counselor skills

PSAT, 37%
K-12, 32%
GED, 32%

Common student services counselor skills

Customer Service, 18%
Financial Aid, 11%
Student Services, 10%
Social Work, 7%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Mental Health, 4%

Career Guidance Counselor vs. similar jobs

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Career Guidance Counselor
Career Guidance Counselor vs Student Services Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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