Unit counselor vs recreation assistant

The differences between unit counselors and recreation assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a unit counselor and a recreation assistant. Additionally, a unit counselor has an average salary of $36,585, which is higher than the $31,040 average annual salary of a recreation assistant.

The top three skills for a unit counselor include incident reports, mental health and substance abuse. The most important skills for a recreation assistant are customer service, MDS, and recreation programs.

Unit counselor vs recreation assistant overview

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Assistant
Yearly salary	$36,585	$31,040
Hourly rate	$17.59	$14.92
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	45,693	4,088
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	41	42
Years of experience	4	4

Unit counselor vs recreation assistant salary

Unit counselors and recreation assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Assistant
Average salary	$36,585	$31,040
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $71,000	Between $20,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Barnstable Town, MA
Highest paying state	-	West Virginia
Best paying company	-	National Park Foundation
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between unit counselor and recreation assistant education

There are a few differences between a unit counselor and a recreation assistant in terms of educational background:

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Duke University	Northwestern University

Unit counselor vs recreation assistant demographics

Here are the differences between unit counselors' and recreation assistants' demographics:

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Assistant
Average age	41	42
Gender ratio	Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1%	Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between unit counselor and recreation assistant duties and responsibilities

Unit counselor example responsibilities.

Lead a successful group of kids by ensuring safety and behavioral expectations are met and providing structure and organize educational activities.
Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Maintain therapeutic relationships with youth through effective teaching and coaching techniques to provide leadership and foster relationship building skills.

Recreation assistant example responsibilities.

Manage one-on-one and group social and physical sessions with long-term nursing and short-term rehabilitation residents
Assist multiple MWR facilities with the upkeep, accountability and sanitation of workout and rehabilitation equipment.
Respond to emergency situation and administering first aid and CPR when need.
Assist in the setup and operation of major MWR events, such as Oktoberfest and fund raising concerts.
Coordinate large events/gatherings in accordance with MWR procedures, including reserving special locations, food & beverage and entertainment.
Conduct therapeutic groups such as ADL skills, team building, self expression and skill building amongst all age groups.

Unit counselor vs recreation assistant skills

Common unit counselor skills

Incident Reports, 19%
Mental Health, 12%
Substance Abuse, 12%
Conduct Orientation, 11%
CPI, 6%
Crisis Situations, 4%

Common recreation assistant skills

Customer Service, 31%
MDS, 16%
Recreation Programs, 9%
CPR, 8%
Patients, 8%
Rehabilitation, 6%