Relief counselor vs program counselor

The differences between relief counselors and program 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 relief counselor and a program counselor. Additionally, a program counselor has an average salary of $43,820, which is higher than the $36,049 average annual salary of a relief counselor.

The top three skills for a relief counselor include crisis intervention, ADL and behavior management. The most important skills for a program counselor are developmental disabilities, patients, and community integration.

Relief counselor vs program counselor overview

	Relief Counselor	Program Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,049	$43,820
Hourly rate	$17.33	$21.07
Growth rate	36%	10%
Number of jobs	32,787	133,491
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Relief counselor vs program counselor salary

Relief counselors and program counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Relief Counselor	Program Counselor
Average salary	$36,049	$43,820
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $47,000	Between $33,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Russell Sage College
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between relief counselor and program counselor education

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

	Relief Counselor	Program Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Relief counselor vs program counselor demographics

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

	Relief Counselor	Program Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
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 relief counselor and program counselor duties and responsibilities

Relief counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and patients' progress in resolving identify problems and moving towards define objectives.
Provide leadership and direction to new and existing staff members; identify training development assuring that training/certification are obtained and maintain.

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.

Relief counselor vs program counselor skills

Common relief counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 14%
ADL, 11%
Behavior Management, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%

Common program counselor skills

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