Program counselor vs family counselor

The differences between program counselors and family 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 program counselor and a family counselor. Additionally, a program counselor has an average salary of $43,820, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a program counselor include developmental disabilities, patients and community integration. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Program counselor vs family counselor overview

	Program Counselor	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,820	$41,510
Hourly rate	$21.07	$19.96
Growth rate	10%	14%
Number of jobs	133,491	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a program counselor do?

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.

What does a family counselor do?

A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.

Program counselor vs family counselor salary

Program counselors and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Counselor	Family Counselor
Average salary	$43,820	$41,510
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Russell Sage College	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between program counselor and family counselor education

There are a few differences between a program counselor and a family counselor in terms of educational background:

	Program Counselor	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Program counselor vs family counselor demographics

Here are the differences between program counselors' and family counselors' demographics:

	Program Counselor	Family Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	15%	6%

Differences between program counselor and family counselor duties and responsibilities

Program counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Provide education, within hospital setting, to adolescent psychiatric patients regarding substance abuse and dependency issues.
Receive CPR and first aid certifications.
Attend and receive CPR and basic restraint technique certifications.
Assist each client with compassion to encourage them on their journey to recovery.
Encourage and mentore residents during their recovery and rehabilitation process.

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Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

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Program counselor vs family counselor skills

Common program counselor skills

Developmental Disabilities, 11%
Patients, 11%
Community Integration, 9%
CPR, 8%
Social Work, 8%
Medication Administration, 7%

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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