Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between residential counselors and crisis 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 residential counselor and a crisis counselor. Additionally, a crisis counselor has an average salary of $51,142, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for a residential counselor include direct care, medication administration and mental health. The most important skills for a crisis counselor are social work, patients, and mental health crisis.
| Residential Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,117 | $51,142 |
| Hourly rate | $16.40 | $24.59 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 81,287 | 76,255 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
A crisis counselor is responsible for providing assistance and emotional support to clients under crises or mental health emergencies caused by stress, trauma, grief, and other factors. Most crisis counselors work at clinics or counseling centers, and there are instances where they can be at schools and organizations. Aside from diagnosing and providing specific treatments, a crisis counselor must also build rapport with clients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way, and serving as a positive influence in their journey to recovery.
Residential counselors and crisis counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Average salary | $34,117 | $51,142 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $37,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | The Evergreens | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a residential counselor and a crisis counselor in terms of educational background:
| Residential Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between residential counselors' and crisis counselors' demographics:
| Residential Counselor | Crisis Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% | Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1% |
| 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% |