Also called: Certified Child Life Specialist
Helps hospitalized children understand and cope with medical procedures through play and preparation.
Uses a doll with an IV to show a scared 5-year-old what will happen in surgery, then holds his hand during a needle stick. Plans a party in the playroom for kids stuck in the hospital on a holiday.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's in child life or child development plus a 600-hour internship and certification exam; master's increasingly common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Child Life, Child Development, Psychology.
Growing about average. Small field; estimate.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can't hold a scared child's hand during a needle stick; preparing kids for procedures through play stays human.
Classes: Psychology, Child development CTE class, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 21-1099.
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.