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The differences between residential counselors and education counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an education counselor has an average salary of $45,465, 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 an education counselor are mental health, crisis intervention, and financial aid.
| Residential Counselor | Education Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,117 | $45,465 |
| Hourly rate | $16.40 | $21.86 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 81,287 | 40,323 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 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.
The work of education counselors revolves around giving students advice about their course choice, career structuring, and supporting them in their school endeavors. They must have the empathy to help students adjust to their everyday struggles and personal conflicts. They often give students information about scholarship grants and help them apply. They organize seminars talking about alcohol consumption and smoking. Counselors also discuss strategies to improve school performance regarding overall counseling services.
Residential counselors and education counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Counselor | Education Counselor | |
| Average salary | $34,117 | $45,465 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $33,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Evergreens | Silicon Valley International School |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a residential counselor and an education counselor in terms of educational background:
| Residential Counselor | Education Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between residential counselors' and education counselors' demographics:
| Residential Counselor | Education Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| 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, 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 | 15% | 11% |