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The differences between child life specialists and case workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a child life specialist, becoming a case worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $41,459 average annual salary of a case worker.
The top three skills for a child life specialist include patients, child development and patient care. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.
| Child Life Specialist | Case Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $55,201 | $41,459 |
| Hourly rate | $26.54 | $19.93 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,517 | 107,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
The job of a child life specialist is to help children and their families navigate the process of injury, illness, trauma, hospitalization, and disability. These health care professionals perform varied duties that include helping children and their families better understand the procedure and process of their medical experience. They also work on developing strategies to lessen the trauma and improve their understanding of a diagnosis by providing support, guidance, and information to family members. They are also expected to work closely with other members of the health care team in coordinating and managing care.
Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.
Child life specialists and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Life Specialist | Case Worker | |
| Average salary | $55,201 | $41,459 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $96,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | Appalachian Regional Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a child life specialist and a case worker in terms of educational background:
| Child Life Specialist | Case Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between child life specialists' and case workers' demographics:
| Child Life Specialist | Case Worker | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% | 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 | 11% | 10% |