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The differences between community health representatives and lay health 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 community health representative and a lay health advocate. Additionally, a community health representative has an average salary of $35,410, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a lay health advocate.
The top three skills for a community health representative include customer service, patients and medicaid. The most important skills for a lay health advocate are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Community Health Representative | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,410 | $35,126 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $16.89 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 67,046 | 62,717 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A community health representative is responsible for determining the health concerns of the community people and coordinating with officials and organizations to address these needs. Community health representatives facilitate health programs and activities within the community, implementing quality health services to maintain the welfare and stability of the citizens. They also handle social promotions of sponsorships, donations, and charity events to secure financial assistance in case of emergencies and outbreaks. A community health representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in advocating and educating the people for health awareness.
A lay health advocate helps the patients prepare for medical appointments, update and organize physicians' information. After the medical appointments, a lay health advocate offers follow-up care services by monitoring patient conditions and ensuring they follow all treatment recommendations. They assist patients in scheduling additional appointments and arrange their medications. These professionals advise patients on the best ways to maintain control over medical care and prevent more medical issues like fall injuries.
Community health representatives and lay health advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Health Representative | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Average salary | $35,410 | $35,126 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Henderson, NV | Johnston, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | IBM | NRDC |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Education |
There are a few differences between a community health representative and a lay health advocate in terms of educational background:
| Community Health Representative | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between community health representatives' and lay health advocates' demographics:
| Community Health Representative | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.2% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 21% |