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The differences between community health workers 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 worker and a lay health advocate. Additionally, a community health worker has an average salary of $37,079, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a lay health advocate.
The top three skills for a community health worker include patients, community health and social work. The most important skills for a lay health advocate are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Community Health Worker | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $37,079 | $35,126 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $16.89 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 82,445 | 62,717 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 workers and lay health advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Health Worker | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Average salary | $37,079 | $35,126 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Johnston, RI |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | NRDC |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Education |
There are a few differences between a community health worker and a lay health advocate in terms of educational background:
| Community Health Worker | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between community health workers' and lay health advocates' demographics:
| Community Health Worker | Lay Health Advocate | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |