Student mentor vs student services counselor

The differences between student mentors and student services counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student services counselor has an average salary of $41,175, which is higher than the $33,392 average annual salary of a student mentor.

The top three skills for a student mentor include role model, student life and mathematics. The most important skills for a student services counselor are customer service, financial aid, and student services.

Student mentor vs student services counselor overview

	Student Mentor	Student Services Counselor
Yearly salary	$33,392	$41,175
Hourly rate	$16.05	$19.80
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	18,591	104,698
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a student mentor do?

A student mentor is responsible for guiding the students on their educational and professional development by encouraging the students to reach their maximum potential, helping them with their study habits and academic concerns. Student mentors widen the social connection of the students by recommending them to join school activities and other educational organizations. They analyze the students' strengths and weaknesses and implement strategies to address those difficulties. A student mentor also advises the students of their potential careers, considering their interests and social experience.

What does a student services counselor do?

Student Services is a part of the school program that focuses on helping students in their studies. A Student Services Counselor handles this task and is the contact person for all students who need help or who have problems and issues requiring solutions and answers. In a culturally diverse population in schools, it is the student service counselor's job to connect each student to relevant student service programs available in the school. Ultimately, the welfare of the students and their success in school is the goal of this position.

Student mentor vs student services counselor salary

Student mentors and student services counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student Mentor	Student Services Counselor
Average salary	$33,392	$41,175
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $48,000	Between $27,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	Research Foundation of The City University of New York	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between student mentor and student services counselor education

There are a few differences between a student mentor and a student services counselor in terms of educational background:

	Student Mentor	Student Services Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Student mentor vs student services counselor demographics

Here are the differences between student mentors' and student services counselors' demographics:

	Student Mentor	Student Services Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0%	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%
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 student mentor and student services counselor duties and responsibilities

Student mentor example responsibilities.

Manage UAFS's F-1/J-1 student visa SEVIS compliance as DSO/ARO, ensuring all documentation is in order prior to students arriving.
Assist students with basic mathematics, general science and English (reading and writing )
Design and implement curriculum for gift elementary students in mathematics, language arts, and science
Facilitate workshops, group activities, annual leadership conferences, informational sessions, and presentations regarding available resources.
Mentore in core academic classes such as executive functioning, leadership, self-advocacy, social relationship building and independent living.
Develop engaging physics problems sets to demonstrate the use of calculus in physics.

Student services counselor example responsibilities.

Assist in all aspects of the FAFSA, insuring that every eligible student apply accurately.
Verify FAFSA applications for accuracy.
Plan retention and recruitment opportunities for students, prospective employers and alumni through interdepartmental and professional cooperative efforts.
Create, construct and maintain a student info PowerPoint presentation.
Draft general email correspondence, introduction/thank you letters, excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
Develop formal policies/procedures for daily operations such as program approvals/tracking, financial tracking systems, staff meetings and leadership opportunities.

Student mentor vs student services counselor skills

Common student mentor skills

Role Model, 26%
Student Life, 16%
Mathematics, 14%
Academic Support, 7%
Financial Aid, 5%
GPA, 5%

Common student services counselor skills

Customer Service, 18%
Financial Aid, 11%
Student Services, 10%
Social Work, 7%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Mental Health, 4%

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Student Mentor vs Student Services Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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