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The differences between youth care 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 youth care specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $38,955 average annual salary of a youth care specialist.
The top three skills for a youth care specialist include customer service, patients and CPR. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Youth Care Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,955 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $18.73 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 133,042 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Youth care specialists are social experts who coordinate programs for children and young people who need care while being away from their own families for some reason. These specialists are required to maintain a safe environment in the community so that children will feel safe, cared for, and nurture. They must lead various seminars for youths about topics such as job readiness, financial literacy, and higher education. They must also communicate the concerns and other important information to a child's assigned social worker and provide back-up support to case managers if needed.
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.
Youth care specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Care Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,955 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $62,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Annapolis, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Delaware State Government | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a youth care specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Youth Care Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between youth care specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Youth Care Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | 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% |