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The differences between community health workers and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a community health worker, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, which is higher than the $37,079 average annual salary of a community health worker.
The top three skills for a community health worker include patients, community health and social work. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.
| Community Health Worker | Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $37,079 | $57,564 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $27.68 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 82,445 | 696,124 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
Community health workers and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Health Worker | Nurse | |
| Average salary | $37,079 | $57,564 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $38,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Conviva |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Government |
There are a few differences between a community health worker and a nurse in terms of educational background:
| Community Health Worker | Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between community health workers' and nurses' demographics:
| Community Health Worker | Nurse | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 9% |