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The differences between college counselors and career counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a college counselor has an average salary of $45,991, which is higher than the $44,870 average annual salary of a career counselor.
The top three skills for a college counselor include colleges, social work and professional development. The most important skills for a career counselor are career development, career services, and professional development.
| College Counselor | Career Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,991 | $44,870 |
| Hourly rate | $22.11 | $21.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,187 | 42,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
It is the job of a college counselor to help students explore and find their careers. College counselors make students consider and organize their priorities for their experience in college. They assist students in researching the available options for a college degree. Their job is to ensure that all the necessary steps in student applications are complete. They even send letters of recommendation and transcripts to make sure that students land their own careers.
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.
College counselors and career counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| College Counselor | Career Counselor | |
| Average salary | $45,991 | $44,870 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $33,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | California College of the Arts | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a college counselor and a career counselor in terms of educational background:
| College Counselor | Career Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between college counselors' and career counselors' demographics:
| College Counselor | Career Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% |
| 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% |