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The differences between program counselors and group 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 group counselor. Additionally, a program counselor has an average salary of $43,820, which is higher than the $40,155 average annual salary of a group counselor.
The top three skills for a program counselor include developmental disabilities, patients and community integration. The most important skills for a group counselor are mental health, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Program Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $43,820 | $40,155 |
| Hourly rate | $21.07 | $19.31 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 133,491 | 84,413 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A group counselor provides counseling services primarily in a group setting, aiming to provide clients with a supportive and healthy environment where they can work on different issues and reach personal goals. They typically conduct research and assessments, establish program objectives and guidelines, arrange various activities, and facilitate positive interactions to support one another. Additionally, a group counselor has the duty to implement policies and standards, create treatment plans, and optimize strategies to ensure clients receive optimal support and services.
Program counselors and group counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average salary | $43,820 | $40,155 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $58,000 | Between $14,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Russell Sage College | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a program counselor and a group counselor in terms of educational background:
| Program Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between program counselors' and group counselors' demographics:
| Program Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% |
| 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% |