Child life therapist vs life skills trainer

The differences between child life therapists and life skills trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a child life therapist has an average salary of $50,768, which is higher than the $30,822 average annual salary of a life skills trainer.

The top three skills for a child life therapist include patients, direct care and social work. The most important skills for a life skills trainer are medication administration, therapeutic recreation, and medical appointments.

Child life therapist vs life skills trainer overview

	Child Life Therapist	Life Skills Trainer
Yearly salary	$50,768	$30,822
Hourly rate	$24.41	$14.82
Growth rate	17%	19%
Number of jobs	78,428	39,666
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	37
Years of experience	-	12

Child life therapist vs life skills trainer salary

Child life therapists and life skills trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Life Therapist	Life Skills Trainer
Average salary	$50,768	$30,822
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $69,000	Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between child life therapist and life skills trainer education

There are a few differences between a child life therapist and a life skills trainer in terms of educational background:

	Child Life Therapist	Life Skills Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Duke University	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Child life therapist vs life skills trainer demographics

Here are the differences between child life therapists' and life skills trainers' demographics:

	Child Life Therapist	Life Skills Trainer
Average age	41	37
Gender ratio	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	13%

Differences between child life therapist and life skills trainer duties and responsibilities

Child life therapist example responsibilities.

Train and experience at managing challenging classroom situations using CPI methods and positive behavior reinforcement practices.
Work with clinical staff to implement clients' rehabilitation plans.
Serve on interdisciplinary team responsible for the treatment of acute psychiatric and mentally-ill chemically-addict veterans on an acute unit.
Attend CFT and IEP meetings for clients; advocate for client's best interest.
Develop individual educational plans (IEP) design to promote educational, physical and social development.

Life skills trainer example responsibilities.

Train and experience at managing challenging classroom situations using CPI methods and positive behavior reinforcement practices.
Deliver individual counseling and perform crisis intervention duties including reporting suicidal patients.
Cultivate a culture of community by providing community integration at a residential rehabilitation facility for persons with severe brain injuries.
Acquire CPR and life skills certifications.
Perform when and if need for first aid and or CPR.
Assist clients with proper ADL needs, such as showering, providing meals, and cleaning rooms.

Child life therapist vs life skills trainer skills

Common child life therapist skills

Patients, 25%
Direct Care, 19%
Social Work, 17%
Physical Therapy, 12%
Therapeutic Recreation, 6%
Emotional Support, 5%

Common life skills trainer skills

Medication Administration, 17%
Therapeutic Recreation, 16%
Medical Appointments, 9%
Direct Support, 8%
Rehabilitation, 6%
CPR, 6%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Child Life Therapist
Child Life Therapist vs Life Skills Trainer

Updated January 8, 2025

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