Lay health advocate vs community health agent

The differences between lay health advocates and community health agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lay health advocate and a community health agent. Additionally, a lay health advocate has an average salary of $35,126, which is higher than the $29,917 average annual salary of a community health agent.

The top three skills for a lay health advocate include patients, social work and substance abuse. The most important skills for a community health agent are telephone calls, emergency situations, and inbound calls.

Lay health advocate vs community health agent overview

	Lay Health Advocate	Community Health Agent
Yearly salary	$35,126	$29,917
Hourly rate	$16.89	$14.38
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	62,717	84,123
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Lay health advocate vs community health agent salary

Lay health advocates and community health agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lay Health Advocate	Community Health Agent
Average salary	$35,126	$29,917
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $21,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Johnston, RI	-
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	-
Best paying company	NRDC	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between lay health advocate and community health agent education

There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a community health agent in terms of educational background:

	Lay Health Advocate	Community Health Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Lay health advocate vs community health agent demographics

Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and community health agents' demographics:

	Lay Health Advocate	Community Health Agent
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1%	Male, 33.5% Female, 66.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	21%	21%

Differences between lay health advocate and community health agent duties and responsibilities

Lay health advocate example responsibilities.

Manage large databases, analyze records, perform literature reviews, prepare PowerPoint presentations, and interpret data for publication.
Provide advocacy and direct support to acute adult and adolescent patients requiring medical and behavioral health treatment in the emergency room.
Maintain all test subject results and consent forms are fully confidential in lieu of federal HIPAA regulation (s . )
Comply with federal regulation in management of clients sensitive personal identifiable information (HIPAA regulations )
Handle suicide prevention and self-harm patients, medical conditions involving bipolar disorders, psychotic disorders and schizophrenia.
Program communication and development working with service providers, healthcare association and organizations to establish a state-wide tobacco treatment safety network.

Community health agent example responsibilities.

Manage large databases, analyze records, perform literature reviews, prepare PowerPoint presentations, and interpret data for publication.
Verify applicants information to see if they would be eligible for one of the Medicaid programs.
Staff daily referrals with hospital staff to discuss medical conditions and reviewing medical charts for need Medicaid and disability applications.
Maintain HIPPA certification and security clearance
Operate FedEx shipping system efficiently and accurately.

Lay health advocate vs community health agent skills

Common lay health advocate skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Substance Abuse, 9%
Home Health, 5%
Behavioral Health, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common community health agent skills

Telephone Calls, 12%
Emergency Situations, 9%
Inbound Calls, 8%
Outbound Calls, 7%
PBX, 7%
Telephone Switchboard, 6%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Lay Health Advocate
Lay Health Advocate vs Community Health Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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