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The differences between student support specialists and family support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a student support specialist, becoming a family support specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a student support specialist has an average salary of $43,449, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support specialist.
The top three skills for a student support specialist include student support, social work and support services. The most important skills for a family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.
| Student Support Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,449 | $37,343 |
| Hourly rate | $20.89 | $17.95 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 104,264 | 143,739 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A student support specialist provides ample counsel and advice for students in an educational institution. Student support's responsibility is to help students adjust, adapt, and advance through their learning life in school or university and provide care and support for them to grow. The student support specialist also connects students to relevant benefits, government educational benefits, and other help and benefits provided by the educational institution and its faculty. The student support specialist aims to help students in their studies and see them achieve their goals.
A family support specialist is an individual who provides counseling and rehabilitation services to families who are facing crises so that their lives can be improved. Family support specialists conduct interviews with members of a family to determine areas that need support such as anti-social behavior, bullying, or domestic violence. They collaborate with healthcare and social professionals to evaluate caseload needs. In cases of relevant child protection, family support specialists are also required to attend court sessions.
Student support specialists and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Support Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,449 | $37,343 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $65,000 | Between $24,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a student support specialist and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Student Support Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Hunter College of the City University of New York |
Here are the differences between student support specialists' and family support specialists' demographics:
| Student Support Specialist | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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 | 11% | 10% |