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Community advocate vs community health worker

The differences between community advocates and community health 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 community advocate, becoming a community health worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a community health worker has an average salary of $37,079, which is higher than the $35,900 average annual salary of a community advocate.

The top three skills for a community advocate include community resources, community outreach and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a community health worker are patients, community health, and social work.

Community advocate vs community health worker overview

Community AdvocateCommunity Health Worker
Yearly salary$35,900$37,079
Hourly rate$17.26$17.83
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs36,52082,445
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4343
Years of experience124

What does a community advocate do?

The task of a community advocate is to provide advocacy and lobby for change or development within neighborhoods. Community advocates collaborate with a certain population like battered women or the deaf affected by environmental contamination. The advocates guide and assist on the hotline to make sure that every individual gets necessary guidance, safety plans, and resources. They provide crisis intervention or management with shelter residents. Also, they ensure confidentiality and legal compliance integrity based on corporate policy.

What does a community health worker do?

A community health worker is a health professional who is a lay member of the community that provides health care in both urban and rural environments. Community health workers offer the health needs of the community they serve and provide some direct services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. They help people understand their health conditions and deliver health information by using appropriate cultural terms and concepts. Community health workers also make home visits to patients who are clinically ill, pregnant women, and individuals at high risk of health problems.

Community advocate vs community health worker salary

Community advocates and community health workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Community AdvocateCommunity Health Worker
Average salary$35,900$37,079
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $43,000Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkConnecticut
Best paying companyBoston Medical CenterPacific Northwest National Laboratory
Best paying industryProfessionalInsurance

Differences between community advocate and community health worker education

There are a few differences between a community advocate and a community health worker in terms of educational background:

Community AdvocateCommunity Health Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeSUNY at BinghamtonUniversity of Southern California

Community advocate vs community health worker demographics

Here are the differences between community advocates' and community health workers' demographics:

Community AdvocateCommunity Health Worker
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 25.8% Female, 74.2%Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 49.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 5.8% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage11%21%

Differences between community advocate and community health worker duties and responsibilities

Community advocate example responsibilities.

  • Manage social media communication including Facebook, Pinterest, and blog.
  • Provide ongoing case management and resource coordinator for individuals with special needs or developmental delays receiving DDA funding.
  • Provide services to WIC clients to promote establish goals and to reinforce positive results.
  • Assist the families with applying for Medicaid, food assistance, FIP, WIC, low income housing etc.
  • Authorize and monitor CCAD services to ensure that the consumer receives the services as authorized and their needs are being meet.

Community health worker example responsibilities.

  • Lead process and counseling groups gear toward healing from both PTSD and substance dependence issues.
  • Manage large databases, analyze records, perform literature reviews, prepare PowerPoint presentations, and interpret data for publication.
  • Complete vitals on all patients and record vitals in EMR.
  • Train and educate professionals on HIV prevention and testing in the community.
  • Create program materials such as flyers, letters, banners, handouts, etc.
  • Assess asthma control by completing questionnaires during home visits and communicating this information via EMR.
  • Show more

Community advocate vs community health worker skills

Common community advocate skills
  • Community Resources, 12%
  • Community Outreach, 9%
  • Crisis Intervention, 9%
  • Safety Planning, 7%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • Data Entry, 6%
Common community health worker skills
  • Patients, 13%
  • Community Health, 12%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Community Resources, 7%
  • CHW, 5%
  • Social Services, 4%

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