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The differences between school counselors and therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a therapist has an average salary of $55,943, which is higher than the $49,904 average annual salary of a school counselor.
The top three skills for a school counselor include mental health, community resources and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| School Counselor | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,904 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $23.99 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 91,275 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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 therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
School counselors and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Counselor | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $49,904 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $68,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Gow School | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a school counselor and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| School Counselor | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 therapists' demographics:
| School Counselor | Therapist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |