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The differences between vocational rehabilitation counselors and therapeutic support staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a vocational rehabilitation counselor and a therapeutic support staff. Additionally, a vocational rehabilitation counselor has an average salary of $45,871, which is higher than the $34,086 average annual salary of a therapeutic support staff.
The top three skills for a vocational rehabilitation counselor include rehabilitation, substance abuse and transferable. The most important skills for a therapeutic support staff are autism, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $45,871 | $34,086 |
| Hourly rate | $22.05 | $16.39 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 78,174 | 192,172 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 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.
A therapeutic support staff member specializes in providing guidance and counseling to individuals with emotional support needs, mainly children. They are primarily responsible for building rapport with clients while assessing their different conditions and needs. Through this assessment, therapeutic support staff can develop specific treatments in collaboration with mental health practitioners. One may directly work with schools, clinics, and other medical health facilities. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain all clients' records and monitor their progress, regularly updating the assigned physician or caseworker.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors and therapeutic support staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Average salary | $45,871 | $34,086 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Williston, ND | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | New York State Restaurant Association | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a vocational rehabilitation counselor and a therapeutic support staff in terms of educational background:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between vocational rehabilitation counselors' and therapeutic support staff' demographics:
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 11% |