Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between early intervention specialists and behavioral health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an early intervention specialist and a behavioral health specialist. Additionally, an early intervention specialist has an average salary of $46,103, which is higher than the $44,808 average annual salary of a behavioral health specialist.
The top three skills for an early intervention specialist include early intervention, developmental disabilities and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a behavioral health specialist are patients, social work, and substance abuse.
| Early Intervention Specialist | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,103 | $44,808 |
| Hourly rate | $22.16 | $21.54 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 22,033 | 130,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Early intervention specialists are responsible for determining and helping youth who are manifesting deficiencies in the fundamental areas of learning. They are trained teachers who work with youngsters between birth and age four to direct developmental impediments. Also, they have an essential role in bridging children and their families with other social service workers. Their jobs include carefully evaluating the child, establishing developmental goals, creating medication plans, recommending learning activities, and keeping track of the child's progress.
Typically working for clinics and learning institutions, a behavioral health specialist is in charge of counseling and treating patients with behavioral issues. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment through interview and observation, maintaining records and data, developing treatment plans, and referring patients to other support services when necessary. Moreover, a behavioral health specialist must communicate with the patient's families or guardians, discuss conditions, and provide advice on taking care of them. Aside from treating patients, it is also essential to continuously monitor their behavior while building positive relationships with them.
Early intervention specialists and behavioral health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Intervention Specialist | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,103 | $44,808 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $70,000 | Between $29,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Maxim Healthcare Group |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an early intervention specialist and a behavioral health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Early Intervention Specialist | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between early intervention specialists' and behavioral health specialists' demographics:
| Early Intervention Specialist | Behavioral Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |