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The differences between behavioral specialists and community support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a behavioral specialist, becoming a community support specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a behavioral specialist has an average salary of $42,029, which is higher than the $39,320 average annual salary of a community support specialist.
The top three skills for a behavioral specialist include mental health, autism and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a community support specialist are social work, mental health, and rehabilitation.
| Behavioral Specialist | Community Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,029 | $39,320 |
| Hourly rate | $20.21 | $18.90 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 74,968 | 111,431 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A behavioral specialist is a psychological expert providing guidance and counseling to people who have behavioral issues affecting their abilities to learn and socialize with other people. Behavioral specialists assess the level of patients' behavior and make treatment plans to help them cope. They monitor the patient's progress and keep treatment reports, improving or adjusting treatment plans as needed. They also communicate with the patients' family and friends for treatment support, as well as coordinate with other health professionals for additional assistance.
A community support specialist is responsible for supporting and providing care services for citizens with mental health conditions and other medical illnesses. Community support specialists coordinate with organizations and health institutions to generate resources that would help the patients in their daily activities, medications, and treatment plans. They also strategize community events and activities to observe the patients' social and personal behaviors and endorse them to a mental health professional for in-depth examination and counseling.
Behavioral specialists and community support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Specialist | Community Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,029 | $39,320 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $61,000 | Between $27,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Barbarian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a behavioral specialist and a community support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Specialist | Community Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between behavioral specialists' and community support specialists' demographics:
| Behavioral Specialist | Community Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |