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The differences between guidance counselors and counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a guidance counselor has an average salary of $48,154, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a guidance counselor include crisis intervention, community resources and mental health. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.
| Guidance Counselor | Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $48,154 | $36,225 |
| Hourly rate | $23.15 | $17.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 75,740 | 77,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The primary role of a Guidance Counselor is to help students develop skills for success, both in academics and social development. They also develop and implement educational and counseling plans with modern methods of teaching and mentoring.
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
Guidance counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Guidance Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average salary | $48,154 | $36,225 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $64,000 | Between $19,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Poly Prep Country Day School | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a guidance counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:
| Guidance Counselor | Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | School Counseling | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between guidance counselors' and counselors' demographics:
| Guidance Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7% | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |