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The differences between college counselors and 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 $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a college counselor include colleges, social work and professional development. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.
| College Counselor | Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,991 | $36,225 |
| Hourly rate | $22.11 | $17.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,187 | 77,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| 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.
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
College counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| College Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average salary | $45,991 | $36,225 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $19,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | California College of the Arts | - |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Education |
There are a few differences between a college counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:
| College Counselor | Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between college counselors' and counselors' demographics:
| College Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% |
| 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, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |