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The differences between student support specialists and housing 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 student support specialist and a housing specialist. Additionally, a student support specialist has an average salary of $43,449, which is higher than the $40,842 average annual salary of a housing specialist.
The top three skills for a student support specialist include student support, social work and support services. The most important skills for a housing specialist are landlords, social work, and mental health.
| Student Support Specialist | Housing Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,449 | $40,842 |
| Hourly rate | $20.89 | $19.64 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 104,264 | 56,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 housing specialist is responsible for determining the eligibility of individuals on housing opportunities, coordinating with non-profit organizations to request financial assistance, and negotiating terms for housing purposes. Housing specialists analyze the property market conditions, including social services offers and its qualification requirements, to inform the clients of housing support programs and other alternatives. They also prepare cost analysis reports to identify financial needs and check the availability of resources with minimal restrictions. A housing specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling clients' account statements and assisting them for approval.
Student support specialists and housing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Support Specialist | Housing Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,449 | $40,842 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $65,000 | Between $29,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | GeoLogics |
| Best paying industry | Media | Government |
There are a few differences between a student support specialist and a housing specialist in terms of educational background:
| Student Support Specialist | Housing Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between student support specialists' and housing specialists' demographics:
| Student Support Specialist | Housing Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 27.0% Female, 73.0% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |