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Child support investigator vs child advocate

The differences between child support investigators and child advocates 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 support investigator and a child advocate. Additionally, a child support investigator has an average salary of $47,732, which is higher than the $37,885 average annual salary of a child advocate.

The top three skills for a child support investigator include law enforcement agencies, protective services and child support orders. The most important skills for a child advocate are social work, safety planning, and crisis intervention.

Child support investigator vs child advocate overview

Child Support InvestigatorChild Advocate
Yearly salary$47,732$37,885
Hourly rate$22.95$18.21
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs75,49388,678
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Child support investigator vs child advocate salary

Child support investigators and child advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Child Support InvestigatorChild Advocate
Average salary$47,732$37,885
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $60,000Between $30,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City-Pasadena, TX
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Suncoast Center
Best paying industry-Non Profits

Differences between child support investigator and child advocate education

There are a few differences between a child support investigator and a child advocate in terms of educational background:

Child Support InvestigatorChild Advocate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorCriminal JusticePsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaHunter College of the City University of New York

Child support investigator vs child advocate demographics

Here are the differences between child support investigators' and child advocates' demographics:

Child Support InvestigatorChild Advocate
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 32.7% Female, 67.3%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between child support investigator and child advocate duties and responsibilities

Child support investigator example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Provide information and support to transitioning foster youth during assessment, case planning or other permanency and transition-relate activities.
  • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

Child advocate example responsibilities.

  • Offer immediate practical assistance to the family in obtaining Medicaid coverage, financial assistance or help with housing.
  • Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
  • Complete risk assessments and develop comprehensive intervention plans to address safety, communication, and problem solving abilities.

Child support investigator vs child advocate skills

Common child support investigator skills
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 11%
  • Protective Services, 7%
  • Child Support Orders, 7%
  • Child Care, 7%
  • Minimum Standards, 6%
  • Community Resources, 5%
Common child advocate skills
  • Social Work, 16%
  • Safety Planning, 11%
  • Crisis Intervention, 9%
  • Mental Health, 7%
  • Child Abuse, 5%
  • Child Advocacy, 5%

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