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The differences between service counselors and group counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a service counselor, becoming a group counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a group counselor has an average salary of $40,155, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.
The top three skills for a service counselor include social work, crisis intervention and patients. The most important skills for a group counselor are mental health, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Service Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,402 | $40,155 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $19.31 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 44,284 | 84,413 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.
A group counselor provides counseling services primarily in a group setting, aiming to provide clients with a supportive and healthy environment where they can work on different issues and reach personal goals. They typically conduct research and assessments, establish program objectives and guidelines, arrange various activities, and facilitate positive interactions to support one another. Additionally, a group counselor has the duty to implement policies and standards, create treatment plans, and optimize strategies to ensure clients receive optimal support and services.
Service counselors and group counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average salary | $35,402 | $40,155 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $51,000 | Between $14,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a service counselor and a group counselor in terms of educational background:
| Service Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between service counselors' and group counselors' demographics:
| Service Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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% |