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The differences between disability specialists and therapeutic support staff 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 therapeutic support staff. Additionally, a disability specialist has an average salary of $48,662, which is higher than the $34,086 average annual salary of a therapeutic support staff.
The top three skills for a disability specialist include social work, rehabilitation and developmental disabilities. The most important skills for a therapeutic support staff are autism, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Disability Specialist | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $48,662 | $34,086 |
| Hourly rate | $23.40 | $16.39 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 24,669 | 192,172 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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.
A therapeutic support staff member specializes in providing guidance and counseling to individuals with emotional support needs, mainly children. They are primarily responsible for building rapport with clients while assessing their different conditions and needs. Through this assessment, therapeutic support staff can develop specific treatments in collaboration with mental health practitioners. One may directly work with schools, clinics, and other medical health facilities. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain all clients' records and monitor their progress, regularly updating the assigned physician or caseworker.
Disability specialists and therapeutic support staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Disability Specialist | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Average salary | $48,662 | $34,086 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $80,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | - |
| Best paying company | Stanford University | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a disability specialist and a therapeutic support staff in terms of educational background:
| Disability Specialist | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between disability specialists' and therapeutic support staff' demographics:
| Disability Specialist | Therapeutic Support Staff | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |