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The differences between lead counselors and program counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead counselor has an average salary of $178,478, which is higher than the $43,820 average annual salary of a program counselor.
The top three skills for a lead counselor include legal advice, litigation and work ethic. The most important skills for a program counselor are developmental disabilities, patients, and community integration.
| Lead Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $178,478 | $43,820 |
| Hourly rate | $85.81 | $21.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,247 | 133,491 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A Lead Counselor is responsible for the management of patients' mental health and rehabilitation services. Often, they help them to recover from a tragic or traumatic kind of situation. They also help the patient cope with family and job-related stress and other personal issues. They teach other staff and especially clients to educate them in dealing with stress management and eventually monitor their progress. This person should also have strong written and verbal communication skills.
A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum. This person is also tasked to help students resolve issues and problems that may hinder any educational progress. They are also part of the disciplinary team intended to instill good morals, ethics, and decency in students. The Program Counselor is one of the teacher or professor who has expertise or has a high educational degree in a particular subject or field.
Lead counselors and program counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Average salary | $178,478 | $43,820 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $315,000 | Between $33,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | MDI | Russell Sage College |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lead counselor and a program counselor in terms of educational background:
| Lead Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between lead counselors' and program counselors' demographics:
| Lead Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 15% |