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The differences between school counselors and program counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school counselor has an average salary of $49,904, which is higher than the $43,820 average annual salary of a program counselor.
The top three skills for a school counselor include mental health, community resources and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a program counselor are developmental disabilities, patients, and community integration.
| School Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $49,904 | $43,820 |
| Hourly rate | $23.99 | $21.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 91,275 | 133,491 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A school counselor is responsible for monitoring the students' social and personal development, advising them of their career aspirations, and assisting them with their academic achievements and goals. School counselors also ensure that the students receive the highest learning standards to pave their way towards society's advancement and global competitiveness. They evaluate students' behavior through personal counseling, understanding their challenges, and develop strategies to overcome their needs. A school counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, supporting students with their goals, and honing their skills efficiently.
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.
School counselors and program counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Average salary | $49,904 | $43,820 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $68,000 | Between $33,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | The Gow School | Russell Sage College |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a school counselor and a program counselor in terms of educational background:
| School Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | School Counseling | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between school counselors' and program counselors' demographics:
| School Counselor | Program Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 15% |