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The differences between counselor technicians and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a counselor technician, becoming a residential counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a counselor technician has an average salary of $42,314, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a counselor technician include intellectual property, patients and substance abuse. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Counselor Technician | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $42,314 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $20.34 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 79,999 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Counselor technicians and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Counselor Technician | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $42,314 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $67,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | BNY Mellon | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a counselor technician and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Counselor Technician | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between counselor technicians' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Counselor Technician | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 12% | 15% |