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The differences between developmental specialists and family support specialists 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 family support specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a developmental specialist has an average salary of $42,829, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support specialist.
The top three skills for a developmental specialist include social work, developmental disabilities and autism. The most important skills for a family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.
| Developmental Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,829 | $37,343 |
| Hourly rate | $20.59 | $17.95 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 7,776 | 143,739 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A family support specialist is an individual who provides counseling and rehabilitation services to families who are facing crises so that their lives can be improved. Family support specialists conduct interviews with members of a family to determine areas that need support such as anti-social behavior, bullying, or domestic violence. They collaborate with healthcare and social professionals to evaluate caseload needs. In cases of relevant child protection, family support specialists are also required to attend court sessions.
Developmental specialists and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developmental Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,829 | $37,343 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $24,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | UMass Memorial Health | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a developmental specialist and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Developmental Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Hunter College of the City University of New York |
Here are the differences between developmental specialists' and family support specialists' demographics:
| Developmental Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |