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The differences between counselors and academic counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an academic counselor has an average salary of $47,454, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a counselor include patients, crisis intervention and substance abuse. The most important skills for an academic counselor are financial aid, academic support, and student services.
| Counselor | Academic Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,225 | $47,454 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $22.81 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 77,536 | 39,084 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
In high schools and universities, an academic counselor specializes in providing counseling and consultations to students, focusing on their educational and career growth. They typically meet with students to discuss their short and long term goals and help by providing them with insights and information or referring them to other services and resources. Moreover, an academic counselor must assist students by addressing their issues and concerns, giving them emotional support and academic advice, and helping them navigate through various procedures.
Counselors and academic counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor | Academic Counselor | |
| Average salary | $36,225 | $47,454 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $67,000 | Between $35,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | California College of the Arts |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a counselor and an academic counselor in terms of educational background:
| Counselor | Academic Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between counselors' and academic counselors' demographics:
| Counselor | Academic Counselor | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 11% |