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The differences between transition 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 transition specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $42,506 average annual salary of a transition specialist.
The top three skills for a transition specialist include patients, customer service and social work. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Transition Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,506 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $20.44 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 39,829 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
In learning institutions, a transition specialist is primarily in charge of providing career advice to students, guiding them in their journey for career growth. It is their duty to conduct interviews to identify the students' career goals, conduct skills assessments, research career opportunities for students, and refer them to programs or services, assisting them in the documentation procedures. Furthermore, as a transition specialist, it is essential to build rapport with students and other clients, encouraging them to pursue their short and long-term goals.
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.
Transition specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transition Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,506 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $74,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | A.T. Kearney | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a transition specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Transition Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between transition specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Transition Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | 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% |