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The differences between adoption specialists and child welfare specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an adoption specialist and a child welfare specialist. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $41,070 average annual salary of an adoption specialist.
The top three skills for an adoption specialist include foster care, social work and adoption process. The most important skills for a child welfare specialist are social work, foster care, and child safety.
| Adoption Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,070 | $50,377 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $24.22 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 84,209 | 76,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Adoption Specialists are responsible for evaluating and arranging both adoptive parents' and child's needs to ensure a good family fit. Their duties include undertaking adoption research on families, completing paperwork requirements, carrying out adoption education for families before and following children's placements at their house, and assisting in post-placement services. They are also responsible for developing adoption plans, act as main family advisors, and organize community resources needed by both adoptive parents and children, such as education, health care, and counseling.
Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.
Adoption specialists and child welfare specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adoption Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average salary | $41,070 | $50,377 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Cherry Hill, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an adoption specialist and a child welfare specialist in terms of educational background:
| Adoption Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between adoption specialists' and child welfare specialists' demographics:
| Adoption Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |