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The differences between work counselors and group 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 group counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $40,155 average annual salary of a group counselor.
The top three skills for a work counselor include social work, discharge planning and substance abuse. The most important skills for a group counselor are mental health, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Work Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,384 | $40,155 |
| Hourly rate | $26.63 | $19.31 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 77,184 | 84,413 |
| 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 group counselor provides counseling services primarily in a group setting, aiming to provide clients with a supportive and healthy environment where they can work on different issues and reach personal goals. They typically conduct research and assessments, establish program objectives and guidelines, arrange various activities, and facilitate positive interactions to support one another. Additionally, a group counselor has the duty to implement policies and standards, create treatment plans, and optimize strategies to ensure clients receive optimal support and services.
Work counselors and group counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,384 | $40,155 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $66,000 | Between $14,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | The Travelers Companies | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a work counselor and a group counselor in terms of educational background:
| Work Counselor | Group 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 group counselors' demographics:
| Work Counselor | Group Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% |
| 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% |