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The differences between counselors and crisis counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a crisis counselor has an average salary of $51,142, 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 a crisis counselor are social work, patients, and mental health crisis.
| Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,225 | $51,142 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $24.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 77,536 | 76,255 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
A crisis counselor is responsible for providing assistance and emotional support to clients under crises or mental health emergencies caused by stress, trauma, grief, and other factors. Most crisis counselors work at clinics or counseling centers, and there are instances where they can be at schools and organizations. Aside from diagnosing and providing specific treatments, a crisis counselor must also build rapport with clients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way, and serving as a positive influence in their journey to recovery.
Counselors and crisis counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Average salary | $36,225 | $51,142 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $67,000 | Between $37,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a counselor and a crisis counselor in terms of educational background:
| Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between counselors' and crisis counselors' demographics:
| Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1% |
| 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, 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 | 9% | 15% |