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The differences between youth 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 specialist and a child life specialist. Additionally, a child life specialist has an average salary of $55,201, which is higher than the $35,180 average annual salary of a youth specialist.
The top three skills for a youth specialist include crisis intervention, direct care and mental health. The most important skills for a child life specialist are patients, child development, and patient care.
| Youth Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,180 | $55,201 |
| Hourly rate | $16.91 | $26.54 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 71,303 | 90,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A youth specialist's role is to oversee the safety and welfare of children and young adults, ensuring that they get the necessary support and guidance. Their responsibilities include performing initial assessments and interviews to identify needs, conducting home inspections and evaluations, providing essential advice, and spearheading programs and projects that cater to the disadvantaged youth. Furthermore, there are instances when a youth specialist may execute interventions or refer families to other services. Should there be any signs of neglect or abuse, it is essential to coordinate with the authorities right away.
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 specialists and child life specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,180 | $55,201 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $31,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Outside In | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a youth specialist and a child life specialist in terms of educational background:
| Youth Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between youth specialists' and child life specialists' demographics:
| Youth Specialist | Child Life Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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% |