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The differences between high school counselors and counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a high school counselor has an average salary of $48,361, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a high school counselor include mental health, financial aid and community resources. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.
| High School Counselor | Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $48,361 | $36,225 |
| Hourly rate | $23.25 | $17.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 93,675 | 77,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
High school counselors are professional counselors who assist high school students in developing their academic and social skills as well as serve their social and emotional needs. These counselors are required to have one-on-one sessions with students who are experiencing personal problems. They are required to guide students with their college application process and other avenues such as apprenticeships or training programs. High school counselors must also educate students about issues such as drug abuse, bullying, or other significant problems the students are facing.
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.
High school counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| High School Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average salary | $48,361 | $36,225 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $19,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a high school counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:
| High School Counselor | Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | School Counseling | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between high school counselors' and counselors' demographics:
| High School Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | 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% |