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The differences between behavioral specialists and residential 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 residential specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a behavioral specialist has an average salary of $42,029, which is higher than the $33,451 average annual salary of a residential specialist.
The top three skills for a behavioral specialist include mental health, autism and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a residential specialist are mental health, crisis intervention, and CPR.
| Behavioral Specialist | Residential Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,029 | $33,451 |
| Hourly rate | $20.21 | $16.08 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 74,968 | 49,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
The residential specialist job is to provide quality support services to consumers that enhance physical, emotional, intellectual, vocational, communication, and social skills according to the individual's needs, abilities, and choices. Their duties and responsibilities include following the guidelines given by their agencies and assisting clients as needed according to their daily plan and schedule.
Behavioral specialists and residential specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Specialist | Residential Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,029 | $33,451 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $61,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Barbarian | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a behavioral specialist and a residential specialist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Specialist | Residential Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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 residential specialists' demographics:
| Behavioral Specialist | Residential Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |