Child Life Specialist

Also called: CCLS

Helps kids and teens cope with the fear and stress of being in the hospital.

A day in the life

Uses a doll with a toy IV to explain to a 5-year-old what will happen in surgery, distracts a kid with bubbles during a blood draw, and runs the playroom on the cancer floor.

Pay over a career

Starting
$42k
Typical
$60k
High
$80k

Estimate.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in child life or child development, a 600-hour internship, and certification.

Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.

Majors to look at: Child Life, Child Development, Psychology.

Outlook

Growing about average. Competitive; few positions open each year.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. AI apps can explain procedures to kids, but play, comfort and reading a frightened child's mood stay human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Child development, Psychology, Theater, Art.

Official data: O*NET occupation 21-1099.

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Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.