Student services counselor vs academic counselor

The differences between student services counselors and academic counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an academic counselor has an average salary of $47,454, which is higher than the $41,175 average annual salary of a student services counselor.

The top three skills for a student services counselor include customer service, financial aid and student services. The most important skills for an academic counselor are financial aid, academic support, and student services.

Student services counselor vs academic counselor overview

	Student Services Counselor	Academic Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,175	$47,454
Hourly rate	$19.80	$22.81
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	104,698	39,084
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	42	42
Years of 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.

What does an academic counselor do?

In high schools and universities, an academic counselor specializes in providing counseling and consultations to students, focusing on their educational and career growth. They typically meet with students to discuss their short and long term goals and help by providing them with insights and information or referring them to other services and resources. Moreover, an academic counselor must assist students by addressing their issues and concerns, giving them emotional support and academic advice, and helping them navigate through various procedures.

Student services counselor vs academic counselor salary

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

	Student Services Counselor	Academic Counselor
Average salary	$41,175	$47,454
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $60,000	Between $35,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Virginia
Best paying company	Kern Community College District	California College of the Arts
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between student services counselor and academic counselor education

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

	Student Services Counselor	Academic Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Student services counselor vs academic counselor demographics

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

	Student Services Counselor	Academic Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%
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 services counselor and academic counselor duties and responsibilities

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.

Academic counselor example responsibilities.

Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Test PeopleSoft upgrades and provide suggestions.
Tutor introductory biology, chemistry, psychology and remedial mathematics.
Guide older students in navigating PeopleSoft application to access portal for online registrations.
Navigate the college process through the CUNY, SUNY, and common application.

Student services counselor vs academic counselor skills

Common student services counselor skills

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

Common academic counselor skills

Financial Aid, 9%
Academic Support, 8%
Student Services, 8%
Professional Development, 6%
Student Athletes, 5%
Academic Advisement, 5%

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Student Services Counselor
Student Services Counselor vs Academic Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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