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The differences between health outreach workers and outreach specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a health outreach worker, becoming an outreach specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an outreach specialist has an average salary of $41,863, which is higher than the $32,129 average annual salary of a health outreach worker.
The top three skills for a health outreach worker include patients, community health and social work. The most important skills for an outreach specialist are customer service, patients, and social work.
| Health Outreach Worker | Outreach Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,129 | $41,863 |
| Hourly rate | $15.45 | $20.13 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 85,592 | 46,523 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Community health workers are health care professionals who are responsible for assisting individuals and communities in adopting health behaviors by outreaching health organizations to implement health programs. These health workers are required to provide basic health care services and perform basic diagnostic procedures such as screening of blood pressure, breast cancer, or communicable disease. They must also identify the particular health care needs of individuals in the community and as well as visit their homes to provide support or information. Community health workers must also arrange transportation to clients who have health appointments or referral sites.
An outreach specialist is primarily responsible for organizing and managing social service programs that promote health and wellness within a community. They typically conduct research and assessments to determine the community's needs, thoroughly plan events and programs, participate in hiring staff and volunteers, and liaise with sponsors and suppliers. Often reporting to a manager or supervisor, an outreach specialist must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, preparing necessary documentation, managing schedules, arranging appointments, and even responding to inquiries and concerns.
Health outreach workers and outreach specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Outreach Worker | Outreach Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,129 | $41,863 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $29,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Eureka, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | CME Group |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Government |
There are a few differences between a health outreach worker and an outreach specialist in terms of educational background:
| Health Outreach Worker | Outreach Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between health outreach workers' and outreach specialists' demographics:
| Health Outreach Worker | Outreach Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 51.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 11% |