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The differences between lay health advocates and health advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a lay health advocate, becoming a health advisor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a health advisor has an average salary of $80,312, 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 health advisor are patients, employee engagement, and social work.
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $80,312 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $38.61 |
| Growth rate | 12% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,717 | 85,719 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 health advisor is a medical expert who specializes in developing various health programs and projects to provide patients with optimal healthcare services. They are primarily in charge of helping patients navigate and understand the healthcare system. Their responsibilities also include performing research and analysis to identify the community's needs, coordinating with fellow experts, setting objectives and guidelines, and referring patients to other services when necessary. Moreover, a health advisor must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Lay health advocates and health advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Advisor | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $80,312 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $49,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Johnston, RI | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Maryland |
| Best paying company | NRDC | The Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a health advisor in terms of educational background:
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | - |
Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and health advisors' demographics:
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Advisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 34.6% Female, 65.4% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 7% |