Pupil personnel worker vs guidance counselor

The differences between pupil personnel workers and guidance counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pupil personnel worker has an average salary of $49,234, which is higher than the $48,154 average annual salary of a guidance counselor.

The top three skills for a pupil personnel worker include crisis intervention, IEP and public schools. The most important skills for a guidance counselor are crisis intervention, community resources, and mental health.

Pupil personnel worker vs guidance counselor overview

	Pupil Personnel Worker	Guidance Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,234	$48,154
Hourly rate	$23.67	$23.15
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	20,690	75,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Pupil personnel worker vs guidance counselor salary

Pupil personnel workers and guidance counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pupil Personnel Worker	Guidance Counselor
Average salary	$49,234	$48,154
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $36,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Poly Prep Country Day School
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between pupil personnel worker and guidance counselor education

There are a few differences between a pupil personnel worker and a guidance counselor in terms of educational background:

	Pupil Personnel Worker	Guidance Counselor
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	School Counseling
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Pennsylvania

Pupil personnel worker vs guidance counselor demographics

Here are the differences between pupil personnel workers' and guidance counselors' demographics:

	Pupil Personnel Worker	Guidance Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
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%

Differences between pupil personnel worker and guidance counselor duties and responsibilities

Pupil personnel worker example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.

Guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
Administer TACHS, PSAT, and other statewide examinations.
Provide individual counseling to students upon their request, SST referrals, or that of a teacher.
Utilize RTI for curriculum design and to identify students in need of extra academic & behavioral support.
Contribute to IEP manifestation meetings with students-parents-teachers.
Complete student educational assessments for upcoming IEP meetings.

Pupil personnel worker vs guidance counselor skills

Common pupil personnel worker skills

Crisis Intervention, 59%
IEP, 20%
Public Schools, 20%

Common guidance counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 10%
Community Resources, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Professional Development, 4%
Financial Aid, 4%
Conflict Resolution, 4%

Pupil Personnel Worker vs. similar jobs

Pupil Personnel Worker related careers

Pupil Personnel Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Pupil Personnel Worker
Pupil Personnel Worker vs Guidance Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs