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The differences between work counselors and service counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a work counselor and a service counselor. Additionally, a work counselor has an average salary of $55,384, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.
The top three skills for a work counselor include social work, discharge planning and substance abuse. The most important skills for a service counselor are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.
| Work Counselor | Service Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,384 | $35,402 |
| Hourly rate | $26.63 | $17.02 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 77,184 | 44,284 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.
Work counselors and service counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Work Counselor | Service Counselor | |
| Average salary | $55,384 | $35,402 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $66,000 | Between $24,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Travelers Companies | |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Education |
There are a few differences between a work counselor and a service counselor in terms of educational background:
| Work Counselor | Service Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between work counselors' and service counselors' demographics:
| Work Counselor | Service Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 11% |