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The differences between adoption specialists and foster care workers 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 foster care worker. Additionally, a foster care worker has an average salary of $46,037, 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 foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.
| Adoption Specialist | Foster Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $41,070 | $46,037 |
| Hourly rate | $19.75 | $22.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 84,209 | 151,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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.
A Foster Care Worker helps improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families as well as increases the family's well-being and the academic functioning of children. They counsel families about issues regarding their child's care and develop healthy living situations.
Adoption specialists and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adoption Specialist | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $41,070 | $46,037 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $32,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Riverview Health |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between an adoption specialist and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:
| Adoption Specialist | Foster Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | Boston University |
Here are the differences between adoption specialists' and foster care workers' demographics:
| Adoption Specialist | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% |
| 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% |