Phone counselor vs residential counselor

The differences between phone counselors and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a phone counselor and a residential counselor. Additionally, a phone counselor has an average salary of $38,285, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.

The top three skills for a phone counselor include social work, crisis calls and crisis planning. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.

Phone counselor vs residential counselor overview

	Phone Counselor	Residential Counselor
Yearly salary	$38,285	$34,117
Hourly rate	$18.41	$16.40
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	75,943	81,287
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Phone counselor vs residential counselor salary

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

	Phone Counselor	Residential Counselor
Average salary	$38,285	$34,117
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $47,000	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 phone counselor and residential counselor education

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

	Phone Counselor	Residential Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Phone counselor vs residential counselor demographics

Here are the differences between phone counselors' and residential counselors' demographics:

	Phone Counselor	Residential Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between phone counselor and residential counselor duties and responsibilities

Phone counselor example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
Provide individual assessments, treatment planning and psychotherapy services to culturally diverse adult female population in need of rehabilitation services.
Listen to clients' concerns about HIV/AIDS relate treatment.
Facilitate groups of children with ADHD and also a self-esteem group for adults.
Provide counseling for individuals, children and adults for depression, anxiety, ADHD, personality disorders and other behavioral disorders.
Specialize in individual, relationship, marital, custody, anxiety, depression, trauma resolution, and PTSD.

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.

Phone counselor vs residential counselor skills

Common phone counselor skills

Social Work, 27%
Crisis Calls, 23%
Crisis Planning, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Suicide Prevention, 8%
Mental Illness, 5%

Common residential counselor skills

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

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Phone Counselor
Phone Counselor vs Residential Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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