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The differences between social services counselors and counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a social services counselor has an average salary of $45,514, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a social services counselor include social work, patients and social services. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.
| Social Services Counselor | Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,514 | $36,225 |
| Hourly rate | $21.88 | $17.42 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 151,229 | 77,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Social service counselors provide a wide range of counselling such as psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. They must evaluate patient data, do psychological tests, and apply their observations. They may also review clinical issues and programs. Typically, they work in institutions or private practices.
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
Social services counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Services Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average salary | $45,514 | $36,225 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $65,000 | Between $19,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Mission Regional Medical Center | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a social services counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:
| Social Services Counselor | Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between social services counselors' and counselors' demographics:
| Social Services Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |