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The differences between life skills trainers and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a life skills trainer, becoming a residential counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a residential counselor has an average salary of $34,117, which is higher than the $30,822 average annual salary of a life skills trainer.
The top three skills for a life skills trainer include medication administration, therapeutic recreation and medical appointments. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| Life Skills Trainer | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $30,822 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $14.82 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 39,666 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene. They can organize therapeutic activities for individuals or groups to maximize their quality of life. Life skills trainers must also assist in meal preparation as well as perform tasks that include glucose monitoring, insulin therapy, and diabetes management.
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Life skills trainers and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Life Skills Trainer | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $30,822 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $41,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a life skills trainer and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| Life Skills Trainer | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between life skills trainers' and residential counselors' demographics:
| Life Skills Trainer | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |