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The differences between early intervention specialists and family support 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 family support specialist. Additionally, an early intervention specialist has an average salary of $46,103, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support 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 family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.
| Early Intervention Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,103 | $37,343 |
| Hourly rate | $22.16 | $17.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 22,033 | 143,739 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| 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.
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.
Early intervention specialists and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Intervention Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,103 | $37,343 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $70,000 | Between $24,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between an early intervention specialist and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Early Intervention Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 early intervention specialists' and family support specialists' demographics:
| Early Intervention Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 10% |