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Human service specialist vs specialist

The differences between human service specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a human service specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $49,025 average annual salary of a human service specialist.

The top three skills for a human service specialist include mental health, social work and program eligibility. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Human service specialist vs specialist overview

Human Service SpecialistSpecialist
Yearly salary$49,025$58,013
Hourly rate$23.57$27.89
Growth rate12%10%
Number of jobs124,752358,433
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4342
Years of experience122

What does a human service specialist do?

Human services specialists provide a range of social services with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people they serve. They can work for organizations, including housing associations, mental health facilities, rehabilitation centers, residential care homes, and food banks. Most of their duties involve interacting with people and conduct counseling. This job also requires active listening skills to comprehend your clients easily and understand their needs to provide care for people in difficult circumstances.

What does a specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Human service specialist vs specialist salary

Human service specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Human Service SpecialistSpecialist
Average salary$49,025$58,013
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $71,000Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying CityOakland, CAJersey City, NJ
Highest paying stateHawaiiNew Jersey
Best paying companyRegeneronThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between human service specialist and specialist education

There are a few differences between a human service specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:

Human Service SpecialistSpecialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY at BinghamtonStanford University

Human service specialist vs specialist demographics

Here are the differences between human service specialists' and specialists' demographics:

Human Service SpecialistSpecialist
Average age4342
Gender ratioMale, 22.5% Female, 77.5%Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 15.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between human service specialist and specialist duties and responsibilities

Human service specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage the MSW staff and coordinate all social service and select patient service activities.
  • Establish effective liaisons with community agencies to ensure coordination of services to patients.
  • Developed/Implement a health education/risk reduction program for HIV/AIDS patients engaging in high-risk behaviors.
  • Help clients reach self-sufficiency by referring clients to employment and vocational rehabilitation agencies.
  • Work with employees of local drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers to determine eligibility for inpatients.
  • Assign as a provider enrollment specialist responsible for credentialing and enrolling new medical providers into the Medicaid provider network.
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Specialist example responsibilities.

  • Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
  • Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
  • Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
  • Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
  • Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
  • Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).
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Human service specialist vs specialist skills

Common human service specialist skills
  • Mental Health, 13%
  • Social Work, 11%
  • Program Eligibility, 6%
  • Medicaid, 5%
  • Social Services, 5%
  • Community Resources, 5%
Common specialist skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Work Ethic, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Exceptional Client, 4%
  • Troubleshoot, 4%

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