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The differences between student support specialists and student mentors 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 $33,392 average annual salary of a student mentor.
The top three skills for a student support specialist include student support, social work and support services. The most important skills for a student mentor are role model, student life, and mathematics.
| Student Support Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Yearly salary | $43,449 | $33,392 |
| Hourly rate | $20.89 | $16.05 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 104,264 | 18,591 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 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.
Student support specialists and student mentors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Support Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Average salary | $43,449 | $33,392 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $65,000 | Between $23,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Research Foundation of The City University of New York |
| Best paying industry | Media | Education |
There are a few differences between a student support specialist and a student mentor in terms of educational background:
| Student Support Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between student support specialists' and student mentors' demographics:
| Student Support Specialist | Student Mentor | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0% |
| 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% |