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The differences between behavioral specialists and 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 specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $42,029 average annual salary of a behavioral specialist.
The top three skills for a behavioral specialist include mental health, autism and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Behavioral Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,029 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $20.21 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,968 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Behavioral specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,029 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $61,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Barbarian | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a behavioral specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between behavioral specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Behavioral Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |