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The differences between student support specialists and student advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student support specialist has an average salary of $43,449, which is higher than the $41,418 average annual salary of a student advisor.
The top three skills for a student support specialist include student support, social work and support services. The most important skills for a student advisor are customer service, student services, and international student.
| Student Support Specialist | Student Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $43,449 | $41,418 |
| Hourly rate | $20.89 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 104,264 | 56,492 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A student support specialist provides ample counsel and advice for students in an educational institution. Student support's responsibility is to help students adjust, adapt, and advance through their learning life in school or university and provide care and support for them to grow. The student support specialist also connects students to relevant benefits, government educational benefits, and other help and benefits provided by the educational institution and its faculty. The student support specialist aims to help students in their studies and see them achieve their goals.
A student advisor is responsible for supporting the students' personal growth and development by guiding them on their learning processes and educational goals. Student advisors provide regular counseling for the students to analyze their career aspirations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and strategize learning plans to address those difficulties. They also coordinate with the students' parents and guardians to report the students' progress and determine appropriate scholastic solutions. A student advisor must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially when handling students' different needs and concerns.
Student support specialists and student advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Support Specialist | Student Advisor | |
| Average salary | $43,449 | $41,418 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $65,000 | Between $31,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Media | Education |
There are a few differences between a student support specialist and a student advisor in terms of educational background:
| Student Support Specialist | Student Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between student support specialists' and student advisors' demographics:
| Student Support Specialist | Student Advisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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% |