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The differences between protective service specialists and child support 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 protective service specialist and a child support specialist. Additionally, a protective service specialist has an average salary of $50,293, which is higher than the $38,271 average annual salary of a child support specialist.
The top three skills for a protective service specialist include social work, child safety and foster care. The most important skills for a child support specialist are customer service, social work, and child support cases.
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,293 | $38,271 |
| Hourly rate | $24.18 | $18.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 81,211 | 143,623 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
A child support specialist is primarily in charge of monitoring child support payments, ensuring individuals with financial obligations comply with the legal settlement terms. They mainly work in the legal industry, where their responsibilities include assessing the clients' financial situations, gathering and analyzing financial statements, performing interviews and follow-up calls, and producing regular progress reports. Furthermore, as a child support specialist, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and procedures, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
Protective service specialists and child support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,293 | $38,271 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $76,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Rockville, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Parsons | University of Rochester |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a protective service specialist and a child support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between protective service specialists' and child support specialists' demographics:
| Protective Service Specialist | Child Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% | Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1% |
| 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% |