Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between case managers and counselor/case managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a case manager, becoming a counselor/case manager takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a case manager has an average salary of $43,118, which is higher than the $39,562 average annual salary of a counselor/case manager.
The top three skills for a case manager include social work, patients and community resources. The most important skills for a counselor/case manager are crisis intervention, patients, and social work.
| Case Manager | Counselor/Case Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $43,118 | $39,562 |
| Hourly rate | $20.73 | $19.02 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 84,959 | 88,285 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A case manager is responsible for giving advice, handling plans for the client's recovery, and connecting with other human service professionals to ask for further options and recommendations for the client's concerns. Case managers should have excellent communication and listening skills to evaluate the client's needs, ensuring that they will have the utmost care and safety through efficient advocacy. A case manager should be able to provide a reliable support system for the client and monitor progress to achieve wellness and guarantee satisfaction.
A Counselor provides advice for coping with everyday situations, relationships, health challenges, or disabilities of patients. Case Managers develop, monitor, and evaluate treatment plans and the progress of patients within the social service departments, healthcare companies, hospital networks, etc.
Case managers and counselor/case managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Case Manager | Counselor/Case Manager | |
| Average salary | $43,118 | $39,562 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $61,000 | Between $32,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Denver, CO |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Wellpath | Parkland Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Education |
There are a few differences between a case manager and a counselor/case manager in terms of educational background:
| Case Manager | Counselor/Case Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between case managers' and counselor/case managers' demographics:
| Case Manager | Counselor/Case Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% | Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 11% |