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The differences between child support specialists and mental health associates 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 specialist and a mental health associate. Additionally, a child support specialist has an average salary of $38,271, which is higher than the $36,510 average annual salary of a mental health associate.
The top three skills for a child support specialist include customer service, social work and child support cases. The most important skills for a mental health associate are patients, customer service, and vital signs.
| Child Support Specialist | Mental Health Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $38,271 | $36,510 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $17.55 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 143,623 | 122,947 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A child support specialist is primarily in charge of monitoring child support payments, ensuring individuals with financial obligations comply with the legal settlement terms. They mainly work in the legal industry, where their responsibilities include assessing the clients' financial situations, gathering and analyzing financial statements, performing interviews and follow-up calls, and producing regular progress reports. Furthermore, as a child support specialist, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and procedures, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
As a mental health associate, you will assist the medical team members in diagnosing and treating individuals with mental, developmental, and behavioral conditions. You may be tasked to facilitate individual and group therapy sessions, help patients with their day-to-day activities such as self-care and hygiene, and assist in administering medications prescribed by physicians. Other duties include planning and leading program activities, attending treatment rounds, and assisting with the physical care of patients. The qualifications and skills required for this role include a bachelor's degree in social science or psychology, previous work experience, and certification on basic life support.
Child support specialists and mental health associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Support Specialist | Mental Health Associate | |
| Average salary | $38,271 | $36,510 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $25,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | University of Rochester | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a child support specialist and a mental health associate in terms of educational background:
| Child Support Specialist | Mental Health Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between child support specialists' and mental health associates' demographics:
| Child Support Specialist | Mental Health Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |