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The differences between program advisors and academic advisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program advisor has an average salary of $55,656, which is higher than the $46,729 average annual salary of an academic adviser.
The top three skills for a program advisor include customer service, persistence and intellectual disabilities. The most important skills for an academic adviser are customer service, student services, and financial aid.
| Program Advisor | Academic Adviser | |
| Yearly salary | $55,656 | $46,729 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $22.47 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 109,307 | 23,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A program advisor is in charge of overseeing programs from planning to execution, ensuring everything functions according to its goals and guidelines. Although their responsibilities depend on their line of work and industry of employment, it typically involves performing research and analysis to find new opportunities and determine ideal practices, gathering and analyzing client feedback, setting objectives, and developing strategies to carry out the purpose of every program, prioritizing optimal services. Moreover, a program advisor must monitor the progress of all operations, recommending solutions should any problems arise.
An academic adviser is responsible for managing the students' educational goals and future career aspirations by encouraging them to join scholastic activities, conducting one-on-one discussions to identify their challenges and areas of improvement, and developing educational plans to address possible difficulties. Academic advisers also monitor the students' interests and abilities for a career setting, track the students' progress, and create engaging activities to observe the students' personal and social behavior. An academic adviser must have excellent communication skills and extensive knowledge of teaching principles and disciplines to handle different personalities.
Program advisors and academic advisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Advisor | Academic Adviser | |
| Average salary | $55,656 | $46,729 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $96,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | New York Film Academy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a program advisor and an academic adviser in terms of educational background:
| Program Advisor | Academic Adviser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between program advisors' and academic advisers' demographics:
| Program Advisor | Academic Adviser | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |