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The differences between protective service specialists and child care 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 protective service specialist and a child care counselor. Additionally, a protective service specialist has an average salary of $50,293, which is higher than the $36,843 average annual salary of a child care counselor.
The top three skills for a protective service specialist include social work, child safety and foster care. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,293 | $36,843 |
| Hourly rate | $24.18 | $17.71 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 81,211 | 100,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Protective Service Specialists provide information to individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through child support services and employment opportunities. Most of these specialists recommend family services include parenting education, drug counseling, and financial base services. They review applicant documentation to determine eligibility for federal and state aid programs, including food stamps, Medicaid, and emergency assistance. Also, protective service specialists assist families with the resources that can help resolve the issues that risk the children's placement. They may even provide staff supervision about referrals obtained to ensure that they meet the criteria for services and intervention.
Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.
Protective service specialists and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,293 | $36,843 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $76,000 | Between $28,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Washington State University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a protective service specialist and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between protective service specialists' and child care counselors' demographics:
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Care Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |