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The differences between child development specialists and child care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a child development specialist and a child care counselor. Additionally, a child development specialist has an average salary of $46,186, which is higher than the $36,843 average annual salary of a child care counselor.
The top three skills for a child development specialist include child development, social work and mental health. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.
| Child Development Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $46,186 | $36,843 |
| Hourly rate | $22.20 | $17.71 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 69,495 | 100,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Child development specialists are psychology experts who work with children suffering from various developmental and psychological disorders. These specialists must ensure that children with developmental and psychological disorders receive the care they need to overcome their difficult obstacles. They are required to socialize with these children while evaluating their ability to regulate emotions and identifying their needs for communication. Child development specialists must also create therapy and counseling programs to help children overcome their developmental obstacles.
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 development specialists and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Development Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average salary | $46,186 | $36,843 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $66,000 | Between $28,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Manalapan, NJ | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | Washington State University |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a child development specialist and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child Development Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | 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 development specialists' and child care counselors' demographics:
| Child Development Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 12% | 10% |