Social services counselor vs work counselor

The differences between social services counselors and work 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 work counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $45,514 average annual salary of a social services counselor.

The top three skills for a social services counselor include social work, patients and social services. The most important skills for a work counselor are social work, discharge planning, and substance abuse.

Social services counselor vs work counselor overview

	Social Services Counselor	Work Counselor
Yearly salary	$45,514	$55,384
Hourly rate	$21.88	$26.63
Growth rate	9%	11%
Number of jobs	151,229	77,184
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	42	45
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 work counselor do?

A work counselor's responsibility is to know the employee's problems including stress, workplace depression, declining productivity, and anxiety, and help solve them by resolving negative patterns, rehabilitation, and prevention to improve quality of life. Such purpose is to reduce sickness absence and pressure. Part of their helping profession is to respect the employees' privacy by sharing information and opinions on resources that the client needs since they are not tasked to disclose information and give advice.

Social services counselor vs work counselor salary

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

	Social Services Counselor	Work Counselor
Average salary	$45,514	$55,384
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $46,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Mission Regional Medical Center	The Travelers Companies
Best paying industry	Education	Hospitality

Differences between social services counselor and work counselor education

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

	Social Services Counselor	Work Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	Boston University	Columbia University in the City of New York

Social services counselor vs work counselor demographics

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

	Social Services Counselor	Work Counselor
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
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, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	21%

Differences between social services counselor and work 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.

Work counselor example responsibilities.

Manage litigation involving the agency, and drafts bills and amendments for legislative consideration.
Complete FARS, PERFS, and ASAMS as required.
Train in OMRDD requirements such as S.K.I.P, compass one, first aid, and CPR
Work as an in-home counselor for high intensity children's cases.
Assist with life skills, behavior modification, medication, and when necessary restraints.
Translate IPP reports verbally and in writing in designate second language (Spanish).

Social services counselor vs work 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 work counselor skills

Social Work, 38%
Discharge Planning, 10%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Community Resources, 5%
Mental Health, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

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Social Services Counselor
Social Services Counselor vs Work Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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