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The differences between activity therapists and child life specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an activity therapist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $54,001 average annual salary of an activity therapist.
The top three skills for an activity therapist include patients, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Activity Therapist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,001 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $25.96 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 25,092 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An Activity Therapist specializes in organizing set activities for patients in hospitals or those undergoing therapy. Recreational activities are essential for uplifting patients' moods and recuperating mentality from the stresses involved with medication and hospitalization. An activity therapist outlines a list of activities customized for the types of patients that will join the activity. Activity Therapists coordinate with other physicians, therapists, and psychologists to better develop activities that benefit everyone.
The job of a child life specialist is to help children and their families navigate the process of injury, illness, trauma, hospitalization, and disability. These health care professionals perform varied duties that include helping children and their families better understand the procedure and process of their medical experience. They also work on developing strategies to lessen the trauma and improve their understanding of a diagnosis by providing support, guidance, and information to family members. They are also expected to work closely with other members of the health care team in coordinating and managing care.
Activity therapists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activity Therapist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $54,001 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $78,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an activity therapist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Activity Therapist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Rehabilitation Science | Psychology |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between activity therapists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Activity Therapist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |