Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between corrections counselors and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a corrections counselor has an average salary of $48,875, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a corrections counselor include mental health, substance abuse and social work. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Corrections Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $48,875 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $23.50 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 77,132 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A corrections counselor develops and implements rehabilitation plans for parolees and inmates. They work directly with criminal offenders to facilitate individual or group counseling sessions to identify the reasons for their behavior, help them work through their issues, give the necessary interventions, and determine whether they can be released back into society. Besides monitoring the progress of the inmates, a corrections counselor may also help parolees and offenders prepare for their release to prevent them from going back to the life of crime. Additionally, a corrections counselor keeps records of all inmates and regularly reports to senior staff.
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Corrections counselors and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corrections Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $48,875 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $66,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Maxim Healthcare Group | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a corrections counselor and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Corrections Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between corrections counselors' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Corrections Counselor | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 15% |