Group home counselor vs residential counselor

The differences between group home counselors and residential 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 group home counselor and a residential counselor. Additionally, a group home counselor has an average salary of $38,203, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.

The top three skills for a group home counselor include developmental disabilities, behavioral problems and community integration. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.

Group home counselor vs residential counselor overview

	Group Home Counselor	Residential Counselor
Yearly salary	$38,203	$34,117
Hourly rate	$18.37	$16.40
Growth rate	-	12%
Number of jobs	79,344	81,287
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Group home counselor vs residential counselor salary

Group home counselors and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Group Home Counselor	Residential Counselor
Average salary	$38,203	$34,117
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	The Evergreens
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between group home counselor and residential counselor education

There are a few differences between a group home counselor and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:

	Group Home Counselor	Residential Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Group home counselor vs residential counselor demographics

Here are the differences between group home counselors' and residential counselors' demographics:

	Group Home Counselor	Residential Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between group home counselor and residential counselor duties and responsibilities

Group home counselor example responsibilities.

Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
Provide mentally impair or emotionally disturb patients with routine emotional and psychological care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
Maintain therapeutic relationships with youth through effective teaching and coaching techniques to provide leadership and foster relationship building skills.

Residential counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Engage, educate and empower participants to access community base resources in order to achieve greater self-determination, rehabilitation and recovery.
Train in AMAP, SCIP, and first aid procedures.
Assist residents with ADL, occasionally accompany to medical appointments, administer medications.
Refine an understanding of HIPAA and DMH programs.
Assist special needs students to reach their IEP and treatment plan goals in 1:1 and group settings.

Group home counselor vs residential counselor skills

Common group home counselor skills

Developmental Disabilities, 14%
Behavioral Problems, 8%
Community Integration, 8%
Direct Care, 6%
Medication Administration, 5%
Medical Appointments, 5%

Common residential counselor skills

Direct Care, 9%
Medication Administration, 9%
Mental Health, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%
Mental Illness, 6%

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Group Home Counselor
Group Home Counselor vs Residential Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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