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The differences between counselors and lawyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Counselor | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $36,225 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 77,536 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| 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 lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Counselors and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $36,225 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $67,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a counselor and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Counselor | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Law |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between counselors' and lawyers' demographics:
| Counselor | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |