Social services counselor vs service counselor

The differences between social services counselors and service counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a social services counselor, becoming a service counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a social services counselor has an average salary of $45,514, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.

The top three skills for a social services counselor include social work, patients and social services. The most important skills for a service counselor are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Social services counselor vs service counselor overview

	Social Services Counselor	Service Counselor
Yearly salary	$45,514	$35,402
Hourly rate	$21.88	$17.02
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	151,229	44,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	4	12

What does a social services counselor do?

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.

What does a service counselor do?

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.

Social services counselor vs service counselor salary

Social services counselors and service counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Services Counselor	Service Counselor
Average salary	$45,514	$35,402
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $24,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Mission Regional Medical Center	Google
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between social services counselor and service counselor education

There are a few differences between a social services counselor and a service counselor in terms of educational background:

	Social Services Counselor	Service Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	SUNY at Binghamton

Social services counselor vs service counselor demographics

Here are the differences between social services counselors' and service counselors' demographics:

	Social Services Counselor	Service Counselor
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between social services counselor and service counselor duties and responsibilities

Social services counselor example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Serve as liaison/advocate between patients and/or families/caregivers and community agencies, other companies as deemed need.
Develop and write the IRP with the client and Treatment/rehabilitation team.
Administer first aid/ CPR as well as handled emergency situations when necessary in the aquatics area and the workout facility.
Escort residents to appointments to train in community integration and other relate rehabilitation services.
Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients and their families in an acute-care crisis stabilization psychiatric hospital.

Service counselor example responsibilities.

Develop contracting strategy to build capacity and achieve ongoing compliance with Medicare and Medicaid provider network adequacy requirements.
Implement patient financial services department to assist patients and family members to ensure successful patient representation and expeditious benefit recovery.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Social services counselor vs service counselor skills

Common social services counselor skills

Social Work, 38%
Patients, 12%
Social Services, 6%
Financial Assistance, 6%
Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Direct Services, 3%

Common service counselor skills

Social Work, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patients, 7%
Support Services, 6%
Social Services, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

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Social Services Counselor
Social Services Counselor vs Service Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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