Crisis worker vs employment counselor

The differences between crisis workers and employment counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an employment counselor has an average salary of $43,848, which is higher than the $33,805 average annual salary of a crisis worker.

The top three skills for a crisis worker include patients, social work and mental health crisis. The most important skills for an employment counselor are litigation, employment law, and HR.

Crisis worker vs employment counselor overview

	Crisis Worker	Employment Counselor
Yearly salary	$33,805	$43,848
Hourly rate	$16.25	$21.08
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	99,201	29,459
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	4	-

What does a crisis worker do?

A crisis worker is a mental health professional specializing in providing counseling and support services to individuals under emotional distress often caused by mental and behavioral issues, conducting interventions as needed. They are usually assigned in institutions or medical facilities, sometimes working for crisis hotlines where they must answer phone calls from clients, remain calm and rational during conversations, offer advice, and refer them to other support agencies to prevent them from taking drastic measures. A crisis worker engages with clients of all ages, requiring them to be proactive at all times.

What does an employment counselor do?

The employment counselor is someone who guides and advises people on how to choose, manage and continue in a career path they've chosen. The employment counselor educates people on each career's pros and cons, giving them insights into what to expect, salary rates, and employment chances in a particular profession. The employment counselor will also show how to excel in a specific career, offer ideas on what training or seminar to attend and what skills to enhance to achieve an edge over others.

Crisis worker vs employment counselor salary

Crisis workers and employment counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crisis Worker	Employment Counselor
Average salary	$33,805	$43,848
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $49,000	Between $26,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Northwestern Medicine	Apple
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Professional

Differences between crisis worker and employment counselor education

There are a few differences between a crisis worker and an employment counselor in terms of educational background:

	Crisis Worker	Employment Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Crisis worker vs employment counselor demographics

Here are the differences between crisis workers' and employment counselors' demographics:

	Crisis Worker	Employment Counselor
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	15%	11%

Differences between crisis worker and employment counselor duties and responsibilities

Crisis worker example responsibilities.

Find placements for patients needing inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and provide community referrals to those requiring lower levels of care.
Conduct psychiatric screenings in hospital settings to determine if patients meet the criteria for involuntary/voluntary commitment as mandated by state laws.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Complete MDS assessments to determine mood and cognitive functioning, relaying information to interdisciplinary team and families.

Employment counselor example responsibilities.

Complete reports, manage client files and process WIA billing invoices for tuition and supplies.
Manage a caseload of Calworks participants in working towards the goal of self-sufficiency and employment.
Monitor caseworkers to ensure rehabilitation services are properly coordinate to aid clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
Source, develop, and implement HRIS systems.
Provide case management to TANF recipients that move clients to employment.
Document in accordance with JCAHO, Medicaid, and all quality improvement standards.

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Crisis worker vs employment counselor skills

Common crisis worker skills

Patients, 21%
Social Work, 18%
Mental Health Crisis, 5%
Compassion, 5%
CPR, 3%
Rehabilitation, 3%

Common employment counselor skills

Litigation, 16%
Employment Law, 14%
HR, 10%
Employment Litigation, 6%
FLSA, 5%
Training Programs, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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