Your time is valuable and I take that seriously. I will be giving out the latest and most accurate average salary for a child life specialist. This is based on a combination of factors which include location, experience, education level and more. In fact, because it’s so accurate, it has a year to year stability of up to 94%. Yes that’s right — you will be getting an amazingly accurate figure.
The average salary for a child life specialist is $48,000 per year.
Average salary for a child life specialist
Are you thinking about becoming a child life specialist? Or, perhaps you’re already in the field and are looking to make more money. Whatever the case may be, it’s helpful to know what kind of salary to expect. In this post, we’ll break down the average annual salary for child life specialists by state and metro area. We’ll also look at job outlook for these professionals, as well as how much experience affects their earnings.
Average salary in the U.S.
The average salary for a child life specialist in the U.S. is $52,000 per year. That’s about $4,500 per month, or $428 per week, or $17 an hour (on top of which you’ll earn benefits). If you work 50 weeks out of the year at 40 hours a week and get paid for all holidays and other paid time off (PTO), that leaves 52 weekends to take off without having to worry about paying bills—and believe me when I say there are plenty of things to do!
If you’ve never worked before, there’s no need to worry about finding your first job as a child life specialist; there are plenty of programs available that can help guide you through the application process while also helping pay back student loans or tuition fees. The Child Life Council helps match newcomers who want to enter this career path with organizations that have openings within their departments; they not only provide guidance but also assist with financial aid applications and even offer stipends if necessary so that candidates don’t have any financial barriers preventing them from applying.
Job outlook for child life specialists
Child life specialists are in high demand, and the job outlook for child life specialists is good.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the field of child life will grow by 20% from 2016 to 2026, which is faster than average for all careers.
Salary by state
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary for child life specialists is $52,410 per year. This figure accounts for factors like cost of living and other variables to ensure a fair comparison between states. For example, a person earning $52,410 in California is not going to be able to live as well as someone earning that amount in Alabama because of the cost of living difference. Even though the numbers are adjusted based on these factors, it’s still important to take additional variables into account before making any decisions about your future career path or where you want to work as a child life specialist.
Salary by metropolitan area
Child life specialists in the U.S. earn an average salary of $47,790 per year. The highest paying metropolitan areas are listed below:
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division – $49,128
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Division – $48,869
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Division – $46,601
Salary by years of experience
- Average salary for child life specialists with 0-5 years of experience: $39,000
- Average salary for child life specialists with 5-10 years of experience: $48,000
- Average salary for child life specialists with 10-20 years of experience: $61,000
- Average salary for child life specialists with 20-30 years of experience: $69,000
The average salary for a child life specialist is $52,000 per year.
The average salary for a child life specialist is $52,000 per year. The median salary is $46,000. This figure can vary based on location and experience level; however, there are several factors that have an impact on salaries.
- Hours worked: Child life specialists typically work full-time hours (40+ per week). The amount of time spent doing your job will affect the pay you receive from it.
- Education level: Employers tend to value more formal training when hiring employees who interact with kids in any capacity—and this includes child life specialists. A bachelor’s degree in childhood development or a related field may be required for some jobs, but others only require a high school diploma plus experience working with children at various organizations like hospitals or day care centers.
- Industry: A person who works as a therapist would likely earn more than one who works as an educator because their skills are specialized and valuable to employers within that industry specifically (elder care).
Conclusion
As a child life specialist, you have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families every day. With an average salary of $52,000 per year and the potential for job growth in this field, your new career can be rewarding both professionally and financially!
