House parent vs residence counselor

The differences between house parents and residence counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a residence counselor has an average salary of $34,931, which is higher than the $34,797 average annual salary of a house parent.

The top three skills for a house parent include crisis intervention, foster care and direct care. The most important skills for a residence counselor are developmental disabilities, CPR, and community resources.

House parent vs residence counselor overview

	House Parent	Residence Counselor
Yearly salary	$34,797	$34,931
Hourly rate	$16.73	$16.79
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	25,144	78,872
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	26	41
Years of experience	-	4

House parent vs residence counselor salary

House parents and residence counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	House Parent	Residence Counselor
Average salary	$34,797	$34,931
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Phoenix, AZ
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	McLean Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between house parent and residence counselor education

There are a few differences between a house parent and a residence counselor in terms of educational background:

	House Parent	Residence Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

House parent vs residence counselor demographics

Here are the differences between house parents' and residence counselors' demographics:

	House Parent	Residence Counselor
Average age	26	41
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	13%	15%

Differences between house parent and residence counselor duties and responsibilities

House parent example responsibilities.

Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
Attend multiple trainings on child development, wellness action plans, as well as CPR certification.
Demonstrate proficiency in administering medications, assisting with ADL's.
Promote continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which care is provided.
Create new forms to help house moms stay better organize and help with household and DHS responsibilities.
Prepare meals, pick up groceries when need, administer and document all medications.

Residence counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Provide direct care, behavior management techniques, medication administration and CPR.
Design and supervise day to day activities for patients and construct a social program that provide opportunities for social rehabilitation.
Provide first aid and CPR, and minor medical assistance to residents.
Ensure medication compliance, maintain accurate medication logs, and assist in the development of ADL skills.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and patients' progress in resolving identify problems and moving towards define objectives.

House parent vs residence counselor skills

Common house parent skills

Crisis Intervention, 12%
Foster Care, 9%
Direct Care, 9%
CPR, 9%
Child Care, 7%
Foster Children, 7%

Common residence counselor skills

Developmental Disabilities, 17%
CPR, 12%
Community Resources, 8%
Patients, 6%
Mental Illness, 6%
Medication Administration, 5%