School guidance counselor vs student support counselor

The differences between school guidance counselors and student support counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school guidance counselor has an average salary of $49,562, which is higher than the $41,329 average annual salary of a student support counselor.

The top three skills for a school guidance counselor include crisis intervention, community agencies and professional development. The most important skills for a student support counselor are student support, mental health, and crisis intervention.

School guidance counselor vs student support counselor overview

	School Guidance Counselor	Student Support Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,562	$41,329
Hourly rate	$23.83	$19.87
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	82,545	134,839
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a school guidance counselor do?

School Guidance Counselors assess students' ability and potential, provide private counseling, and coordinate with fellow professionals on student matters. To help students in realizing their objectives, school guidance counselors evaluate their attributes. Also, they identify behavioral problems and appropriately to remedy the situation. Part of their duties is to cooperate with parents, external partners, and academic staff. To succeed, these guidance counselors must be authentic and accessible with good communication skills and a profound interest in helping students to achieve career and academic goals.

What does a student support counselor do?

A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.

School guidance counselor vs student support counselor salary

School guidance counselors and student support counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	School Guidance Counselor	Student Support Counselor
Average salary	$49,562	$41,329
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $67,000	Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Teaneck, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Tolleson Union High School District	Mercy College
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between school guidance counselor and student support counselor education

There are a few differences between a school guidance counselor and a student support counselor in terms of educational background:

	School Guidance Counselor	Student Support Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	School Counseling	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

School guidance counselor vs student support counselor demographics

Here are the differences between school guidance counselors' and student support counselors' demographics:

	School Guidance Counselor	Student Support Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
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, 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	11%	11%

Differences between school guidance counselor and student support counselor duties and responsibilities

School guidance counselor example responsibilities.

Participate in IEP's staff meetings, parent meetings and individual student counseling.
Attend and participate in IEP meetings, truancy elimination meetings, children s clinic meetings, and parent meetings.
Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Student support counselor example responsibilities.

Maintain confidentiality relating to treatment while keeping organize and up to date IEP's, and medical records file accordingly.
Attend IEP meetings of students on caseload and present to the IEP team a clinical progress report with counseling goals.
Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

School guidance counselor vs student support counselor skills

Common school guidance counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 7%
Community Agencies, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Financial Aid, 5%
Career Planning, 4%
K-12, 4%

Common student support counselor skills

Student Support, 18%
Mental Health, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Behavioral Issues, 5%
Financial Aid, 4%

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School Guidance Counselor
School Guidance Counselor vs Student Support Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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