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The differences between work counselors and family 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 family counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.
The top three skills for a work counselor include social work, discharge planning and substance abuse. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.
| Work Counselor | Family Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,384 | $41,510 |
| Hourly rate | $26.63 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 77,184 | 93,253 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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 Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Work counselors and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Counselor | Family Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,384 | $41,510 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $66,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | The Travelers Companies | Shirley Ryan AbilityLab |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Professional |
There are a few differences between a work counselor and a family counselor in terms of educational background:
| Work Counselor | Family Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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 family counselors' demographics:
| Work Counselor | Family Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 6% |