This story aims at explaining to you the requirements of the job of a child life specialist the associated salary, in detail.
Charlie S
Understanding children is never an easy job. The child life specialist has to do exactly this - these are the professionals who provide emotional support to children who are facing any kinds of physical illness. Demand for such jobs is continuously increasing and the salary in this field has also shown a rising trend over the years due to the great demand for the skills of these professionals.
Job Description
Child life specialists are known to work in major hospitals and clinics and serve children and adolescents. In many cases, there are some conditions and disorders in children which need to be treated. It is quite possible that children are afraid of the hospital surroundings and they are filled with fear when it comes to getting the treatments in the hospital.
The child life specialists, with the help of interactive sessions and games, help the children deal with fear and generate a feeling of confidence in them. They also help the family members of the children understand the complications of the case and adjust to the situation quickly. This is one of those hospital jobs which require the child specialists to be full of energy and do the tasks given to them in a professional manner.
Education
You will have to get a bachelor's degree in child psychology, pediatric or child care to get these jobs. A master's degree would be preferred by big employers.
There are many certification programs for child life specialists in which they are taught the methods of child care during the phase of hospitalization and are also given effective knowledge of the health care settings.
Once you complete the course, you will have to clear an exam which is conducted by Child Life Council that can give you the authority to practice as a child life specialist in challenging environment.
Salary
The salary generally depends on the several years of practical experience, location of job, educational qualifications and skills. Child life specialists earn anything between $35,000 to $49,000 per year, initially in their career.
With experience, they can surely command a better salary. The salary offered by high-end hospitals and reputed health care centers is far more than that offered by the smaller hospitals. These professionals will be earning much more in the cities as compared to the rural regions of the country.
With around five to seven years of experience in this field,you could be earning anything between $60,000 to $80,000 per year. Use this information well and get ahead in your career. All the best!