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The differences between child care attendants and companions can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a companion has an average salary of $29,246, which is higher than the $27,542 average annual salary of a child care attendant.
The top three skills for a child care attendant include CPR, customer service and meal prep. The most important skills for a companion are companionship, patients, and home health.
| Child Care Attendant | Companion | |
| Yearly salary | $27,542 | $29,246 |
| Hourly rate | $13.24 | $14.06 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 156,197 | 75,753 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Also called childcare workers, childcare attendants attend to children at private households, schools, businesses, and childcare institutions. Childcare attendants dress, bathe, feed, and oversee children. They manage and monitor children's safety in whatever way. It is part of their duties and responsibilities to organize learning activities and enforce a curriculum that allows children to explore their interests. They have to be equipped with necessary skills like decision making, communication, monitoring, being patient, and being enthusiastic.
A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.
Child care attendants and companions have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Care Attendant | Companion | |
| Average salary | $27,542 | $29,246 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $43,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lifespan | Merck |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a child care attendant and a companion in terms of educational background:
| Child Care Attendant | Companion | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between child care attendants' and companions' demographics:
| Child Care Attendant | Companion | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.9% Female, 87.1% | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |