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The differences between child support specialists and residence 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 support specialist and a residence counselor. Additionally, a child support specialist has an average salary of $38,271, which is higher than the $34,931 average annual salary of a residence counselor.
The top three skills for a child support specialist include customer service, social work and child support cases. The most important skills for a residence counselor are developmental disabilities, CPR, and community resources.
| Child Support Specialist | Residence Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $38,271 | $34,931 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $16.79 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 143,623 | 78,872 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| 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.
Residence counselors are professionals who are responsible for providing services such as one-to-one therapy and crisis support to clients who are living in group homes or assisted-living facilities. These counselors must assist adults with moderate intellectual disabilities to find employment while monitoring their work performance. They must facilitate and supervise daily personal care and activities for developmentally disabled adults. Residence counselors must also encourage clients to participate in community activities that can contribute to the development of skills necessary for independent living.
Child support specialists and residence counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Support Specialist | Residence Counselor | |
| Average salary | $38,271 | $34,931 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | Phoenix, AZ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of Rochester | McLean Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a child support specialist and a residence counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child Support Specialist | Residence Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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 residence counselors' demographics:
| Child Support Specialist | Residence Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |