House parent vs residential counselor

The differences between house parents and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a house parent has an average salary of $34,797, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.

The top three skills for a house parent include crisis intervention, foster care and direct care. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.

House parent vs residential counselor overview

	House Parent	Residential Counselor
Yearly salary	$34,797	$34,117
Hourly rate	$16.73	$16.40
Growth rate	36%	12%
Number of jobs	25,144	81,287
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	26	41
Years of experience	-	4

House parent vs residential counselor salary

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

	House Parent	Residential Counselor
Average salary	$34,797	$34,117
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $49,000	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 house parent and residential counselor education

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

	House Parent	Residential Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

House parent vs residential counselor demographics

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

	House Parent	Residential Counselor
Average age	26	41
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
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 residential 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.

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.

House parent vs residential counselor skills

Common house parent skills

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

Common residential counselor skills

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