Volunteer vs student volunteer

The differences between volunteers and student volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a volunteer and a student volunteer. Additionally, a volunteer has an average salary of $31,227, which is higher than the $29,145 average annual salary of a student volunteer.

The top three skills for a volunteer include child care, patient charts and patient care. The most important skills for a student volunteer are patients, criminal justice, and physical therapy.

Volunteer vs student volunteer overview

	Volunteer	Student Volunteer
Yearly salary	$31,227	$29,145
Hourly rate	$15.01	$14.01
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	9,583	12,024
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

What does a volunteer do?

Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service. They may be employed in another organization, but they lend their time and talent to another organization or company to give back to the community. They raise funds, create awareness, and work on the ground. Volunteers usually choose a cause or advocacy close to their heart, such as teaching children, taking care of the elderly, coaching sports teams, cleaning up communities, and caring for animals.

What does a student volunteer do?

A student volunteer is an individual who participates in the university's volunteer program to gain work experience and develop new skills. Student volunteers make significant contributions to organizations and local communities by using their skills and giving their time. They follow directions and guidelines that are set by the organization and complete all the necessary training. To optimize their work experience, student volunteers must properly select an organization that appeals to their interests.

Volunteer vs student volunteer salary

Volunteers and student volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Volunteer	Student Volunteer
Average salary	$31,227	$29,145
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $41,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between volunteer and student volunteer education

There are a few differences between a volunteer and a student volunteer in terms of educational background:

	Volunteer	Student Volunteer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Fullerton	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Volunteer vs student volunteer demographics

Here are the differences between volunteers' and student volunteers' demographics:

	Volunteer	Student Volunteer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 15.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between volunteer and student volunteer duties and responsibilities

Volunteer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage web presence, including Facebook account and other social media business accounts!
Train staff members on managing contacts, scheduling programs, and running analytic reports with the Salesforce program.
Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
Supervise and maintain safe play for children's soccer games.
Teach GED to refugees and survivors of torture seeking to enroll in college.

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Student volunteer example responsibilities.

Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
Serve needs of ICU nurses, answer phone calls, bring patients need items.
Work with young children enroll in a soccer camp.
Tutor 6th grade students in advance mathematics in an afterschool program.
Create weekly attendance cards and monthly PowerPoint presentations to promote activities and events.
Conduct file audits on patient health records to identify and eliminate HIPPA violations.

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Volunteer vs student volunteer skills

Common volunteer skills

Child Care, 12%
Patient Charts, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Front Desk, 9%
Community Outreach, 9%
Mathematics, 9%

Common student volunteer skills

Patients, 41%
Criminal Justice, 23%
Physical Therapy, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Public Health, 3%
Medical History, 3%

Volunteer vs. similar jobs

Volunteer related careers

Volunteer related jobs

Volunteer jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

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