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The differences between lay health advocates and community workers 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 worker. Additionally, a community worker has an average salary of $40,029, 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 worker are social services, mental health, and rehabilitation.
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $40,029 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $19.24 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 62,717 | 46,201 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| 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.
Community workers are individuals who work with families or social communities to help promote or restore the social functioning of a community. These workers must promote social justice and maximizing human potential while advocating the rights of individuals and community groups. They must have the skills and flexibility to work with multiple client groups to assess and evaluate community projects and programs. Community workers must also work for non-profit organizations, government, and private sectors to provide human services.
Lay health advocates and community workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Worker | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $40,029 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $28,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Johnston, RI | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | NRDC | University of Illinois Springfield |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a community worker in terms of educational background:
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and community workers' demographics:
| Lay Health Advocate | Community Worker | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4% |
| 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, 8.8% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 21% |