Community advocate vs peer counselor

The differences between community advocates and peer counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a peer counselor has an average salary of $37,464, which is higher than the $35,900 average annual salary of a community advocate.

The top three skills for a community advocate include community resources, community outreach and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a peer counselor are peer support, substance abuse, and wic program.

Community advocate vs peer counselor overview

	Community Advocate	Peer Counselor
Yearly salary	$35,900	$37,464
Hourly rate	$17.26	$18.01
Growth rate	12%	10%
Number of jobs	36,520	76,608
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	12	-

What does a community advocate do?

The task of a community advocate is to provide advocacy and lobby for change or development within neighborhoods. Community advocates collaborate with a certain population like battered women or the deaf affected by environmental contamination. The advocates guide and assist on the hotline to make sure that every individual gets necessary guidance, safety plans, and resources. They provide crisis intervention or management with shelter residents. Also, they ensure confidentiality and legal compliance integrity based on corporate policy.

What does a peer counselor do?

Typically working at schools, communities, or medical facilities, a peer counselor specializes in providing counseling to an individual or group of people, aiming to help them deal with and overcome crises. Their duties often include conducting initial assessments through interviews and appointments, listening to clients and offering advice, recommending opportunities, referring them to other support agencies, and coordinating treatment services as needed. Above all, a peer counselor must provide emotional support and guidance to clients, giving them comfort and a shoulder to lean on.

Community advocate vs peer counselor salary

Community advocates and peer counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Community Advocate	Peer Counselor
Average salary	$35,900	$37,464
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $43,000	Between $24,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Hayward, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Boston Medical Center	The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between community advocate and peer counselor education

There are a few differences between a community advocate and a peer counselor in terms of educational background:

	Community Advocate	Peer Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Pennsylvania

Community advocate vs peer counselor demographics

Here are the differences between community advocates' and peer counselors' demographics:

	Community Advocate	Peer Counselor
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 49.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	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 community advocate and peer counselor duties and responsibilities

Community advocate example responsibilities.

Manage social media communication including Facebook, Pinterest, and blog.
Provide ongoing case management and resource coordinator for individuals with special needs or developmental delays receiving DDA funding.
Provide services to WIC clients to promote establish goals and to reinforce positive results.
Assist the families with applying for Medicaid, food assistance, FIP, WIC, low income housing etc.
Authorize and monitor CCAD services to ensure that the consumer receives the services as authorized and their needs are being meet.

Peer counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Refer clients (as needed) to inpatient or outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation programs and assist them in qualifying for services.
Formulate and edit nutrition education materials and monthly newsletters for WIC participants.
Counsele and enroll people in ACA and ABE.
Work with multiple groups of undergraduate students to improve GPA's.
Present information via PowerPoint and hand-outs to students on the dangers of poor credit decisions.

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Community advocate vs peer counselor skills

Common community advocate skills

Community Resources, 12%
Community Outreach, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Safety Planning, 7%
Social Work, 6%
Data Entry, 6%

Common peer counselor skills

Peer Support, 14%
Substance Abuse, 9%
WIC Program, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Community Resources, 6%
Mental Illness, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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