Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between group facilitators and group counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a group facilitator, becoming a group counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a group counselor has an average salary of $40,155, which is higher than the $31,316 average annual salary of a group facilitator.
The top three skills for a group facilitator include social work, substance abuse and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a group counselor are mental health, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Group Facilitator | Group Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $31,316 | $40,155 |
| Hourly rate | $15.06 | $19.31 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 72,877 | 84,413 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A group facilitator plans and guides group events to ensure everyone's objectives are met by guiding everyone through the process. They are involved in the overall outcome of the meeting, including participation. Your job as a facilitator is to create an environment where everyone can participate in the group discussion, understand each other's views, and share responsibility. An important thing to note as a facilitator is that you don't take sides and remain neutral.
A group counselor provides counseling services primarily in a group setting, aiming to provide clients with a supportive and healthy environment where they can work on different issues and reach personal goals. They typically conduct research and assessments, establish program objectives and guidelines, arrange various activities, and facilitate positive interactions to support one another. Additionally, a group counselor has the duty to implement policies and standards, create treatment plans, and optimize strategies to ensure clients receive optimal support and services.
Group facilitators and group counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Group Facilitator | Group Counselor | |
| Average salary | $31,316 | $40,155 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $47,000 | Between $14,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Hawaii Pacific Health | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a group facilitator and a group counselor in terms of educational background:
| Group Facilitator | Group Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between group facilitators' and group counselors' demographics:
| Group Facilitator | Group Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3% | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | 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 | 11% | 15% |