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The differences between job coaches and employment specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an employment specialist has an average salary of $39,530, which is higher than the $37,372 average annual salary of a job coach.
The top three skills for a job coach include developmental disabilities, CPR and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an employment specialist are customer service, rehabilitation, and mental health.
| Job Coach | Employment Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,372 | $39,530 |
| Hourly rate | $17.97 | $19.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 49,874 | 59,757 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A job coach is responsible for evaluating people's skills and qualifications, advising them with career paths, helping with their aspirations, and promote employment opportunities. Job coaches help the clients build self-confidence and explore their maximum potentials to develop their professional growth. They provide counseling, understanding the clients' strengths and weaknesses, analyzing clients' personal goals, and guiding clients through job interviews and assessments. A job coach must have excellent communication, listening, and analytical skills to handle their clients' challenges and match their interests for the best career suited for them.
An employment specialist deals with job applicants to match their talents to a specific job that properly suits them. Employment specialists assist applicants or the unemployed by testing their skills, conducting mock interviews, and creating a proper resume. They can work separately within a company or be part of the human resources department to assist in the hiring process. Employment specialists are often tasked to handle company layoffs and act as the liaison officer between the employer and the Department of Labor.
Job coaches and employment specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Job Coach | Employment Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,372 | $39,530 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $44,000 | Between $29,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a job coach and an employment specialist in terms of educational background:
| Job Coach | Employment Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between job coaches' and employment specialists' demographics:
| Job Coach | Employment Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% | Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |