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The differences between student support specialists and outreach 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 an outreach specialist. Additionally, a student support specialist has an average salary of $43,449, which is higher than the $41,863 average annual salary of an outreach specialist.
The top three skills for a student support specialist include student support, social work and support services. The most important skills for an outreach specialist are customer service, patients, and social work.
| Student Support Specialist | Outreach Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,449 | $41,863 |
| Hourly rate | $20.89 | $20.13 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 104,264 | 46,523 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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.
An outreach specialist is primarily responsible for organizing and managing social service programs that promote health and wellness within a community. They typically conduct research and assessments to determine the community's needs, thoroughly plan events and programs, participate in hiring staff and volunteers, and liaise with sponsors and suppliers. Often reporting to a manager or supervisor, an outreach specialist must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports, preparing necessary documentation, managing schedules, arranging appointments, and even responding to inquiries and concerns.
Student support specialists and outreach specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Support Specialist | Outreach Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,449 | $41,863 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $65,000 | Between $29,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | CME Group |
| Best paying industry | Media | Government |
There are a few differences between a student support specialist and an outreach specialist in terms of educational background:
| Student Support Specialist | Outreach Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between student support specialists' and outreach specialists' demographics:
| Student Support Specialist | Outreach Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |