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The differences between eligibility specialists and enrollment specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an eligibility specialist, becoming an enrollment specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an enrollment specialist has an average salary of $39,666, which is higher than the $37,322 average annual salary of an eligibility specialist.
The top three skills for an eligibility specialist include medicaid, patients and provide technical assistance. The most important skills for an enrollment specialist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Eligibility Specialist | Enrollment Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,322 | $39,666 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $19.07 |
| Growth rate | - | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 19,944 | 25,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An eligibility specialist is responsible for reviewing applicants' documents to verify their eligibility for qualifying for various organization programs. Eligibility specialists organize files accurately, communicate with other institutions for fact-checking, follow-up with the applicants for missing requirements, respond to the applicants' inquiries and concerns, and recommend alternatives, especially for financial assistance. An eligibility specialist must have excellent communication and record-keeping skills and extensive knowledge of the aid programs and company policies for processing applications.
Typically the responsibilities of an enrollment specialist revolve around gathering information from clients, explaining policies and regulations, obtaining requirements, and determining whether the clients are eligible for the program or service. They also process and verify applications, maintain records and database of information, and handle any issues and concerns. There are also instances where they must manage billing and even process payments. Furthermore, an enrollment specialist must adhere to the company's policies and standards while reaching out to clients.
Eligibility specialists and enrollment specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Eligibility Specialist | Enrollment Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,322 | $39,666 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $45,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Iowa | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | CBIZ | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an eligibility specialist and an enrollment specialist in terms of educational background:
| Eligibility Specialist | Enrollment Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between eligibility specialists' and enrollment specialists' demographics:
| Eligibility Specialist | Enrollment Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9% | Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |