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The differences between developmental specialists and child psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a developmental specialist, becoming a child psychologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a child psychologist has an average salary of $78,743, which is higher than the $42,829 average annual salary of a developmental specialist.
The top three skills for a developmental specialist include social work, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a child psychologist are autism, mental health, and family therapy.
| Developmental Specialist | Child Psychologist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,829 | $78,743 |
| Hourly rate | $20.59 | $37.86 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 7,776 | 22,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A developmental specialist typically works in the human resources department. Your job involves training employees and encouraging their peers to participate. Other duties include evaluating the company's HR and training programs, identifying the best type of training to ensure employee and company success, and designing and developing employee discussions, simulations, and exercises. In addition, you are expected to network with prospective donors and look for new funding sources. You are also expected to promote the organization's cause or work through advertisements, soirees, and literature.
Child Psychologists evaluate and treat adolescents and children. They help children to cope with stresses such as school or family transitions, deaths, and divorces. Their clients may include children with different developmental issues, from learning disabilities to severe mental illness. A partial list of problems they treat has autism, obsessive-compulsive order, attention deficit disorder, adjustment disorder, and phobias. Their job is to endorse the best diagnosis to a complex set of symptoms presented. Moreover, a Clinical Child Psychologist is considered a health service provider.
Developmental specialists and child psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developmental Specialist | Child Psychologist | |
| Average salary | $42,829 | $78,743 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $54,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | UMass Memorial Health | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a developmental specialist and a child psychologist in terms of educational background:
| Developmental Specialist | Child Psychologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between developmental specialists' and child psychologists' demographics:
| Developmental Specialist | Child Psychologist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9% | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |