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Community worker vs intake specialist

The differences between community workers and intake specialists 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 worker, becoming an intake specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a community worker has an average salary of $40,029, which is higher than the $36,805 average annual salary of an intake specialist.

The top three skills for a community worker include social services, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an intake specialist are patients, customer service, and social work.

Community worker vs intake specialist overview

Community WorkerIntake Specialist
Yearly salary$40,029$36,805
Hourly rate$19.24$17.69
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs46,20140,663
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4343
Years of experience412

What does a community worker do?

Community workers are individuals who work with families or social communities to help promote or restore the social functioning of a community. These workers must promote social justice and maximizing human potential while advocating the rights of individuals and community groups. They must have the skills and flexibility to work with multiple client groups to assess and evaluate community projects and programs. Community workers must also work for non-profit organizations, government, and private sectors to provide human services.

What does an intake specialist do?

Intake coordinators manage the registration of clients or patients for medical services in a health care facility. They talk to patients and their families, determine their needs, and ask for patients' medical history and their mental and physical state. It is part of their job to obtain the insurance information of the patients. The necessary skills to become an intake coordinator include good writing and reading skills, good communication, and attention to detail.

Community worker vs intake specialist salary

Community workers and intake specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Community WorkerIntake Specialist
Average salary$40,029$36,805
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $55,000Between $26,000 And $51,000
Highest paying CitySan Mateo, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyUniversity of Illinois SpringfieldCiti
Best paying industryEducationGovernment

Differences between community worker and intake specialist education

There are a few differences between a community worker and an intake specialist in terms of educational background:

Community WorkerIntake Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversitySUNY at Binghamton

Community worker vs intake specialist demographics

Here are the differences between community workers' and intake specialists' demographics:

Community WorkerIntake Specialist
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 31.6% Female, 68.4%Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage21%11%

Differences between community worker and intake specialist duties and responsibilities

Community worker example responsibilities.

  • Prepare patients for abortion procedures; assist doctor and perform ultrasounds during procedures; support women physically and emotionally after abortions.
  • Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Intake specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage assignments of paying medical bills limit in depth that include organizing and researching regulations as pertain to veterans eligibility.
  • Provide information to potential patients and referral sources regarding inpatient and outpatient programs offer and intake process.
  • Verify Medicare eligibility, provide patients with Medicare guideline information as related to home health care and their coverage.
  • Review U.S. DHS immigration compliance of participants.
  • Peg claimants claim and establish medial conditions to VA worksheets.
  • Respond to telephone and e-mail inquiries regarding CM/ECF and court relate procedures.
  • Show more

Community worker vs intake specialist skills

Common community worker skills
  • Social Services, 12%
  • Mental Health, 8%
  • Rehabilitation, 7%
  • Financial Eligibility, 6%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Local Community, 5%
Common intake specialist skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Social Work, 7%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • Phone Calls, 4%
  • Home Health, 3%

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