Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between assessment specialists and school social 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 assessment specialist and a school social worker. Additionally, an assessment specialist has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $54,856 average annual salary of a school social worker.
The top three skills for an assessment specialist include social work, patients and edition. The most important skills for a school social worker are social work, social emotional, and IEP.
| Assessment Specialist | School Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $64,402 | $54,856 |
| Hourly rate | $30.96 | $26.37 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,625 | 122,376 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assessment specialist is an administrative professional who is responsible for designing and conducting assessment tests for a variety of academic clients. Assessment specialists are required to coordinate and implement the student testing program, which includes assessing an individual child's needs, potentials, and limitations. They must monitor special education or talent and gifted (TAG) staff to ensure that objectives are met. Assessment specialists must also need to know state laws and federal that pertain to educational assessments.
A school social worker specializes in counseling students, families, and faculty members. They are responsible for coordinating with the school to develop programs that prioritize the students' emotional and psychological well-being, respond to any issues and concerns, build rapport to identify their needs, and communicate with support services to provide necessary assistance to any students or families. There are also instances when a school social worker must assist teachers in handling students with behavioral issues, investigating the underlying reasons. Moreover, it is crucial to identify any signs of neglect or abuse, conducting interventive measures right away.
Assessment specialists and school social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assessment Specialist | School Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $64,402 | $54,856 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $86,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between an assessment specialist and a school social worker in terms of educational background:
| Assessment Specialist | School Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Boston College |
Here are the differences between assessment specialists' and school social workers' demographics:
| Assessment Specialist | School Social Worker | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4% | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 15% | 10% |