Child care sitter vs child care counselor

The differences between child care sitters and child care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a child care sitter, becoming a child care counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child care counselor has an average salary of $36,843, which is higher than the $33,416 average annual salary of a child care sitter.

The top three skills for a child care sitter include CPR, kids and child care. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.

Child care sitter vs child care counselor overview

	Child Care Sitter	Child Care Counselor
Yearly salary	$33,416	$36,843
Hourly rate	$16.07	$17.71
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	125,552	100,538
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	2	4

What does a child care sitter do?

A child care sitter is someone who takes charge of the welfare and health of children as their parents are not around. Child care sitters perform every aspect of caring for a child including hygiene, meals, and educational activities. They are responsible for disciplining children and for keeping records of their daily activities. They ensure a safe environment, meal preparation, dressing and bathing, housework, and medicine administration. Among the skills, they need to develop include confidence, patience, creativity, multitasking, and time management.

What does a child care counselor do?

Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.

Child care sitter vs child care counselor salary

Child care sitters and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Care Sitter	Child Care Counselor
Average salary	$33,416	$36,843
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Washington State University
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between child care sitter and child care counselor education

There are a few differences between a child care sitter and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:

	Child Care Sitter	Child Care Counselor
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	University of Virginia	SUNY at Albany

Child care sitter vs child care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between child care sitters' and child care counselors' demographics:

	Child Care Sitter	Child Care Counselor
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 16.4% Female, 83.6%	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	10%

Differences between child care sitter and child care counselor duties and responsibilities

Child care sitter example responsibilities.

Perform first aid or CPR when require.
Help kids with homework, doing arts and crafts project together and making snacks!
Look after children while parents work out, basic first aid and cpr certify, creative and quick thinking ,
Provide group and individual behavior support and intervention as trained, including the use of TCI appropriate physical restraint as necessary.
Create math, reading, bible, and art lessons.

Child care counselor example responsibilities.

Train in managing risk and restraining only when need, CPR, and first aid.
Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

Child care sitter vs child care counselor skills

Common child care sitter skills

CPR, 29%
Kids, 23%
Child Care, 15%
Healthy Meals, 8%
PET, 8%
Patient Care, 7%

Common child care counselor skills

CPR, 21%
Child Care, 20%
Behavioral Issues, 11%
Crisis Intervention Techniques, 8%
Direct Supervision, 6%
Mental Health, 5%

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Child Care Sitter
Child Care Sitter vs Child Care Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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