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The differences between work counselors and community health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a work counselor, becoming a community health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $43,304 average annual salary of a community health counselor.
The top three skills for a work counselor include social work, discharge planning and substance abuse. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.
| Work Counselor | Community Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,384 | $43,304 |
| Hourly rate | $26.63 | $20.82 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 77,184 | 131,804 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A work counselor's responsibility is to know the employee's problems including stress, workplace depression, declining productivity, and anxiety, and help solve them by resolving negative patterns, rehabilitation, and prevention to improve quality of life. Such purpose is to reduce sickness absence and pressure. Part of their helping profession is to respect the employees' privacy by sharing information and opinions on resources that the client needs since they are not tasked to disclose information and give advice.
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
Work counselors and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Counselor | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,384 | $43,304 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $66,000 | Between $29,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | The Travelers Companies | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a work counselor and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Work Counselor | Community Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between work counselors' and community health counselors' demographics:
| Work Counselor | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 15% |