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The differences between vocational rehabilitation counselors and counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a vocational rehabilitation counselor has an average salary of $45,871, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.
The top three skills for a vocational rehabilitation counselor include rehabilitation, substance abuse and transferable. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $45,871 | $36,225 |
| Hourly rate | $22.05 | $17.42 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 78,174 | 77,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
The primary role of a vocational rehabilitation counselor is to help disabled people to live fully and independently. Vocational rehabilitation counselors assist people with disabilities in securing employment. They provide health care to those who are coping with mental illness, substance abuse issues, psychological disorders, or physical disabilities. Knowledge of patient care, health management, rehabilitation program, and clinical psychology is a must for this job.
Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average salary | $45,871 | $36,225 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $19,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Williston, ND | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | New York State Restaurant Association | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Education |
There are a few differences between a vocational rehabilitation counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between vocational rehabilitation counselors' and counselors' demographics:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 9% |