Family counselor vs community health counselor

The differences between family counselors and community health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family counselor and a community health counselor. Additionally, a community health counselor has an average salary of $43,304, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a family counselor include social work, community resources and POC. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.

Family counselor vs community health counselor overview

	Family Counselor	Community Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,510	$43,304
Hourly rate	$19.96	$20.82
Growth rate	14%	9%
Number of jobs	93,253	131,804
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a family counselor do?

A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.

What does a community health counselor do?

A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.

Family counselor vs community health counselor salary

Family counselors and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Counselor	Community Health Counselor
Average salary	$41,510	$43,304
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $62,000	Between $29,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab	Apple
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between family counselor and community health counselor education

There are a few differences between a family counselor and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:

	Family Counselor	Community Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Family counselor vs community health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between family counselors' and community health counselors' demographics:

	Family Counselor	Community Health Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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	6%	15%

Differences between family counselor and community health counselor duties and responsibilities

Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

Community health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide group and individual therapy along with social service coordination for patients in short term stabilization psychiatric unit.
Train in medication administration, therapeutic holds and CPR.
Maintain cleanliness of home provide assistance with cleaning rooms and common areas.
Train in MNT, TCI, first aide and CPR with several other essential trainings.
Complete insurance verification information for Medicaid participants.
Maintain caseload paperwork in accordance with Georgia Medicaid requirements.

Family counselor vs community health counselor skills

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

Common community health counselor skills

Social Work, 19%
Behavioral Health, 17%
Patients, 17%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Discharge Planning, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Family Counselor
Family Counselor vs Community Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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