Personal advocate vs victim advocate

The differences between personal advocates and victim advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a personal advocate and a victim advocate. Additionally, a victim advocate has an average salary of $38,628, which is higher than the $36,577 average annual salary of a personal advocate.

The top three skills for a personal advocate include mental health, inbound calls and social work. The most important skills for a victim advocate are crime victims, safety planning, and criminal justice.

Personal advocate vs victim advocate overview

	Personal Advocate	Victim Advocate
Yearly salary	$36,577	$38,628
Hourly rate	$17.59	$18.57
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	70,768	68,084
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

What does a personal advocate do?

Personal advocates must have skills in communication, collaboration, and presentation. They also need a bachelor's or associate's degree in a health-related discipline, and their salary may range from $55K to over $100K per year depending on their degree. Personal advocates encourage and facilitate customer choices and support these choices in order to promote independence and personal growth.

What does a victim advocate do?

A victim advocate provides support and assistance to crime victims, helping them cope with the difficulties of their ordeal while fighting for the justice that they deserve. As a victim advocate, they must educate victims of their legal rights, help them understand the court procedures, identify their needs through various assessments, provide counseling, coordinate resources and other services, and support the victim throughout the court proceedings. Moreover, a victim advocate may create programs and strategies that will help the victim's emotional and psychological health.

Personal advocate vs victim advocate salary

Personal advocates and victim advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Personal Advocate	Victim Advocate
Average salary	$36,577	$38,628
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	New York	Maryland
Best paying company	Cigna	City of Baltimore
Best paying industry	Insurance	Non Profits

Differences between personal advocate and victim advocate education

There are a few differences between a personal advocate and a victim advocate in terms of educational background:

	Personal Advocate	Victim Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Personal advocate vs victim advocate demographics

Here are the differences between personal advocates' and victim advocates' demographics:

	Personal Advocate	Victim Advocate
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between personal advocate and victim advocate duties and responsibilities

Personal advocate example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Change bed linens, run errands, direct visitors and answer telephones.
Maintain the safety and security of shelter, and the cleanliness of facility.
Instruct, or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene or nutrition.
Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Make contact with family or significant others to promote implementation of ISP and community stability.

Victim advocate example responsibilities.

Present at statewide summit on alternatives to incarceration using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Conduct intakes following ethical protocol, maintaining client confidentiality according to HIPAA.
Conduct outreach efforts to promote services including PowerPoint presentations and speaking by panel.
Ensure legal compliance integrity and confidentiality in accordance with company policy and HIPAA regulations.
Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Serve as liaison between EAC's and other departments that work with EAP members and participants.

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Personal advocate vs victim advocate skills

Common personal advocate skills

Mental Health, 17%
Inbound Calls, 13%
Social Work, 13%
Crisis Intervention, 12%
Substance Abuse, 12%
Safety Planning, 4%

Common victim advocate skills

Crime Victims, 11%
Safety Planning, 9%
Criminal Justice, 7%
Social Work, 7%
Advocacy Services, 6%
Mental Health, 4%

Personal Advocate vs. similar jobs

Personal Advocate related careers

Personal Advocate related jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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