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The differences between disability specialists and child life specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a disability specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $48,662 average annual salary of a disability specialist.
The top three skills for a disability specialist include social work, rehabilitation and developmental disabilities. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Disability Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,662 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $23.40 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 24,669 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A disability examiner is primarily in charge of conducting assessments and examinations to determine an applicant's eligibility for disability benefits and programs. Their duties usually include reviewing medical and health records, conducting interviews, and evaluating applications. There are also times when a disability examiner must directly coordinate with healthcare providers to obtain and assess records. Moreover, as a disability examiner, it is essential to assist clients by answering inquiries, providing instructions and advice, and helping them understand the extent of procedures.
The job of a child life specialist is to help children and their families navigate the process of injury, illness, trauma, hospitalization, and disability. These health care professionals perform varied duties that include helping children and their families better understand the procedure and process of their medical experience. They also work on developing strategies to lessen the trauma and improve their understanding of a diagnosis by providing support, guidance, and information to family members. They are also expected to work closely with other members of the health care team in coordinating and managing care.
Disability specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Disability Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,662 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $80,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | California |
| Best paying company | Stanford University | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a disability specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Disability Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between disability specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Disability Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |