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The differences between senior program specialists/program specialists and child life specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a senior program specialist/program specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a senior program specialist/program specialist has an average salary of $84,195, which is higher than the $55,201 average annual salary of a child life specialist.
The top three skills for a senior program specialist/program specialist include project management, process improvement and powerpoint. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,195 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $40.48 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 95,580 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A senior program specialist must have multi-dimensional skills to handle programs. They work under the supervision of a program leader, associate director, or senior program director. They conduct critical research, manage contracts, and identify possible partners. They also give training to junior specialists in their company.
The job of a child life specialist is to help children and their families navigate the process of injury, illness, trauma, hospitalization, and disability. These health care professionals perform varied duties that include helping children and their families better understand the procedure and process of their medical experience. They also work on developing strategies to lessen the trauma and improve their understanding of a diagnosis by providing support, guidance, and information to family members. They are also expected to work closely with other members of the health care team in coordinating and managing care.
Senior program specialists/program specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,195 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $123,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a senior program specialist/program specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior program specialists/program specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 50.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |