Docent vs volunteer

The differences between docents and volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a docent, becoming a volunteer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a docent has an average salary of $40,771, which is higher than the $31,227 average annual salary of a volunteer.

The top three skills for a docent include natural history, public speaking and front desk. The most important skills for a volunteer are child care, patient charts, and patient care.

Docent vs volunteer overview

	Docent	Volunteer
Yearly salary	$40,771	$31,227
Hourly rate	$19.60	$15.01
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	253	9,583
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	34	43
Years of experience	2	12

Docent vs volunteer salary

Docents and volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Docent	Volunteer
Average salary	$40,771	$31,227
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $74,000	Between $23,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between docent and volunteer education

There are a few differences between a docent and a volunteer in terms of educational background:

	Docent	Volunteer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Fullerton

Docent vs volunteer demographics

Here are the differences between docents' and volunteers' demographics:

	Docent	Volunteer
Average age	34	43
Gender ratio	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between docent and volunteer duties and responsibilities

Docent example responsibilities.

Lead VIP guests on guide tours of the property and facilitate their involvement in special events, productions, and conventions.
Inform visitors throughout the aquarium on specific exhibits, animals, and marine wildlife conservation.
Educate aquarium guests on the importance of oceanic conservation, and answer questions concerning the species on display
Control exhibits that require oversight in the financial department.
Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.
Conduct tours of the anthropology and paleontology museums * Write/edit exhibit- and art show-relate materials

Volunteer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage web presence, including Facebook account and other social media business accounts!
Train staff members on managing contacts, scheduling programs, and running analytic reports with the Salesforce program.
Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
Supervise and maintain safe play for children's soccer games.
Teach GED to refugees and survivors of torture seeking to enroll in college.

Docent vs volunteer skills

Common docent skills

Natural History, 40%
Public Speaking, 10%
Front Desk, 7%
Educational Programs, 6%
Aquarium, 6%
Museum Visitors, 5%

Common volunteer skills

Child Care, 12%
Patient Charts, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Front Desk, 9%
Community Outreach, 9%
Mathematics, 9%