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The differences between lay health advocates and community health counselors 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 counselor. Additionally, a community health counselor has an average salary of $43,304, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a lay health advocate.
The top three skills for a lay health advocate include patients, social work and substance abuse. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $43,304 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $20.82 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 62,717 | 131,804 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lay health advocate helps the patients prepare for medical appointments, update and organize physicians' information. After the medical appointments, a lay health advocate offers follow-up care services by monitoring patient conditions and ensuring they follow all treatment recommendations. They assist patients in scheduling additional appointments and arrange their medications. These professionals advise patients on the best ways to maintain control over medical care and prevent more medical issues like fall injuries.
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
Lay health advocates and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $43,304 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $29,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Johnston, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | NRDC | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and community health counselors' demographics:
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 15% |