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The differences between child care workers 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 worker, 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 $31,284 average annual salary of a child care worker.
The top three skills for a child care worker include child care, crisis intervention and behavioral issues. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.
| Child Care Worker | Child Care Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $31,284 | $36,843 |
| Hourly rate | $15.04 | $17.71 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 136,963 | 100,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A child care worker is responsible for providing care and supervision to children while the parents or guardians are away. A child care worker's duty may involve changing diapers and preparing milk for infants and toddlers, devise strategies or fun activities where children can learn, arrange schedules to fit their needs such as nap times, and prepare healthy meals and snacks. Aside from ensuring children's safety, a child care worker must also monitor any sign of emotional or developmental issues so it can be brought to the parents' attention as soon as possible.
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 workers and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Care Worker | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average salary | $31,284 | $36,843 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Washington State University |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a child care worker and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child Care Worker | Child Care Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between child care workers' and child care counselors' demographics:
| Child Care Worker | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.9% 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% |