Student support counselor vs service counselor

The differences between student support counselors and service counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student support counselor has an average salary of $41,329, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.

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

Student support counselor vs service counselor overview

	Student Support Counselor	Service Counselor
Yearly salary	$41,329	$35,402
Hourly rate	$19.87	$17.02
Growth rate	10%	12%
Number of jobs	134,839	44,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	-	12

What does a student support counselor do?

A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.

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.

Student support counselor vs service counselor salary

Student support counselors and service counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Student Support Counselor	Service Counselor
Average salary	$41,329	$35,402
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $57,000	Between $24,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Teaneck, NJ	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	Mercy College	Google
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between student support counselor and service counselor education

There are a few differences between a student support counselor and a service counselor in terms of educational background:

	Student Support Counselor	Service Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY at Binghamton

Student support counselor vs service counselor demographics

Here are the differences between student support counselors' and service counselors' demographics:

	Student Support Counselor	Service Counselor
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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, 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	11%	11%

Differences between student support counselor and service counselor duties and responsibilities

Student support counselor example responsibilities.

Maintain confidentiality relating to treatment while keeping organize and up to date IEP's, and medical records file accordingly.
Attend IEP meetings of students on caseload and present to the IEP team a clinical progress report with counseling goals.
Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

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.

Student support counselor vs service counselor skills

Common student support counselor skills

Student Support, 18%
Mental Health, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Behavioral Issues, 5%
Financial Aid, 4%

Common service counselor skills

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

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Student Support Counselor
Student Support Counselor vs Service Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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