Credit counselor vs certified personal finance counselor

The differences between credit counselors and certified personal finance counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a credit counselor and a certified personal finance counselor. Additionally, a certified personal finance counselor has an average salary of $48,474, which is higher than the $40,227 average annual salary of a credit counselor.

The top three skills for a credit counselor include customer service, debt management and outbound calls. The most important skills for a certified personal finance counselor are money management, credit management, and interest rates.

Credit counselor vs certified personal finance counselor overview

	Credit Counselor	Certified Personal Finance Counselor
Yearly salary	$40,227	$48,474
Hourly rate	$19.34	$23.30
Growth rate	-8%	15%
Number of jobs	32,221	139,819
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Credit counselor vs certified personal finance counselor salary

Credit counselors and certified personal finance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Credit Counselor	Certified Personal Finance Counselor
Average salary	$40,227	$48,474
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $59,000	Between $32,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	BNY Mellon	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between credit counselor and certified personal finance counselor education

There are a few differences between a credit counselor and a certified personal finance counselor in terms of educational background:

	Credit Counselor	Certified Personal Finance Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Credit counselor vs certified personal finance counselor demographics

Here are the differences between credit counselors' and certified personal finance counselors' demographics:

	Credit Counselor	Certified Personal Finance Counselor
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between credit counselor and certified personal finance counselor duties and responsibilities

Credit counselor example responsibilities.

Manage accounting operations, accounting close, account reporting and reconciliations.
Conduct underwriting reviews on FHA, VA, and other conforming and non-conforming loans within proper authority limits.
Gain thorough knowledge of FDCPA laws.
Complete in-service trainings, CPR training and medication certification course.
Determine services and assistance need through individual counseling for credit cards and for clients that are at risk for foreclosure.
Perform comprehensive financial assessment of homeowners facing financial crisis and at risk of foreclosure.

Certified personal finance counselor example responsibilities.

Lead cleanup of company database and files with pending patient and insurance payments through Meditech software program.
Provide assistance to uninsure patients and families in completing and filing Medicaid or assistance program applications with the appropriate agency.
Represent MMI professionally and effectively to all constituents through participation in professional development programs and through the certification process.

Credit counselor vs certified personal finance counselor skills

Common credit counselor skills

Customer Service, 19%
Debt Management, 14%
Outbound Calls, 10%
Inbound Calls, 8%
Payment Arrangements, 4%
Credit Reviews, 4%

Common certified personal finance counselor skills

Money Management, 55%
Credit Management, 22%
Interest Rates, 22%
Customer Service, 0%
Inbound Calls, 0%
Debt Management, 0%

Credit Counselor vs. similar jobs

Credit Counselor related careers

Credit Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Credit Counselor
Credit Counselor vs Certified Personal Finance Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs