Probation officer vs treatment specialist

The differences between probation officers and treatment specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a probation officer and a treatment specialist. Additionally, a treatment specialist has an average salary of $53,673, which is higher than the $47,252 average annual salary of a probation officer.

The top three skills for a probation officer include criminal justice, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a treatment specialist are social work, mental health, and rehabilitation.

Probation officer vs treatment specialist overview

	Probation Officer	Treatment Specialist
Yearly salary	$47,252	$53,673
Hourly rate	$22.72	$25.80
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	55,952	67,604
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a probation officer do?

A probation officer is responsible for monitoring probationers' cases, evaluating terms, and overseeing rehabilitation processes. Probation officers strategize probational operations, as well as recommending treatment plans to achieve probational objectives. They also maintain progress reports, deciding on release requirements and other conditional services to motivate the probationers on adhering to their treatment procedures. A probation officer assesses the probationers' behaviors during the probationary period, regularly interacting with them to identify their challenges, and administering remedial actions.

What does a treatment specialist do?

The duties of a treatment specialist depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In the medical industry, a treatment specialist is primarily responsible for developing treatments according to the needs and conditions of a patient. They gather and analyze a patient's medical history and records, conduct extensive tests and examinations, coordinate with other medical experts, and discuss the extent of treatments to patients. Furthermore, a treatment specialist must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Probation officer vs treatment specialist salary

Probation officers and treatment specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Probation Officer	Treatment Specialist
Average salary	$47,252	$53,673
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $69,000	Between $34,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Nevada	Alaska
Best paying company	Hamilton	Delaware State Government
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between probation officer and treatment specialist education

There are a few differences between a probation officer and a treatment specialist in terms of educational background:

	Probation Officer	Treatment Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Probation officer vs treatment specialist demographics

Here are the differences between probation officers' and treatment specialists' demographics:

	Probation Officer	Treatment Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between probation officer and treatment specialist duties and responsibilities

Probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Create comprehensive case plans that identify needs of offenders in order to facilitate public safety and rehabilitation of the offender.
Promote positive changes in offender behavior that have been release from TDCJ to pursue their sentence.
Assist in the screening and selection of GPS offenders that are release from custody as a condition of bond.
Clerk probate, guardianship, commitment and juvenile, prepare minutes, schedule hearings and draft legal documents and correspondence.
Complete pre-sentence interviews and investigations.

Treatment specialist example responsibilities.

Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Med aid, CPR, and a certified.
Med train, CPR certify.
Provide administrative oversight to several projects, including a provider incentive program and the drafting of the Medicaid request for qualifications.
Work with students within the classroom and develop interventions to increase progress towards IEP goals.
Retain proper certifications for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, first aid, driver's license and insurance.

Probation officer vs treatment specialist skills

Common probation officer skills

Criminal Justice, 12%
Mental Health, 10%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Juvenile Offenders, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Court Orders, 5%

Common treatment specialist skills

Social Work, 18%
Mental Health, 12%
Rehabilitation, 9%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Substance Abuse, 6%

Probation Officer vs. similar jobs

Probation Officer related careers

Probation Officer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Probation Officer
Probation Officer vs Treatment Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs