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The differences between housing specialists and child life specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a housing specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $40,842 average annual salary of a housing specialist.
The top three skills for a housing specialist include landlords, social work and mental health. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Housing Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,842 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $19.64 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 56,215 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A housing specialist is responsible for determining the eligibility of individuals on housing opportunities, coordinating with non-profit organizations to request financial assistance, and negotiating terms for housing purposes. Housing specialists analyze the property market conditions, including social services offers and its qualification requirements, to inform the clients of housing support programs and other alternatives. They also prepare cost analysis reports to identify financial needs and check the availability of resources with minimal restrictions. A housing specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling clients' account statements and assisting them for approval.
The job of a child life specialist is to help children and their families navigate the process of injury, illness, trauma, hospitalization, and disability. These health care professionals perform varied duties that include helping children and their families better understand the procedure and process of their medical experience. They also work on developing strategies to lessen the trauma and improve their understanding of a diagnosis by providing support, guidance, and information to family members. They are also expected to work closely with other members of the health care team in coordinating and managing care.
Housing specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Housing Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $40,842 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | GeoLogics | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a housing specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Housing Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between housing specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Housing Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.0% Female, 73.0% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |