Child advocate vs school social worker

The differences between child advocates 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 a child advocate and a school social worker. Additionally, a school social worker has an average salary of $54,856, which is higher than the $37,885 average annual salary of a child advocate.

The top three skills for a child advocate include social work, safety planning and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a school social worker are social work, social emotional, and IEP.

Child advocate vs school social worker overview

	Child Advocate	School Social Worker
Yearly salary	$37,885	$54,856
Hourly rate	$18.21	$26.37
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	88,678	122,376
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Child advocate vs school social worker salary

Child advocates and school social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Advocate	School Social Worker
Average salary	$37,885	$54,856
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $46,000	Between $40,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, TX	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Suncoast Center	Boston Public Schools
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Education

Differences between child advocate and school social worker education

There are a few differences between a child advocate and a school social worker in terms of educational background:

	Child Advocate	School Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	Hunter College of the City University of New York	Boston College

Child advocate vs school social worker demographics

Here are the differences between child advocates' and school social workers' demographics:

	Child Advocate	School Social Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5%
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%

Differences between child advocate and school social worker duties and responsibilities

Child advocate example responsibilities.

Offer immediate practical assistance to the family in obtaining Medicaid coverage, financial assistance or help with housing.
Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Complete risk assessments and develop comprehensive intervention plans to address safety, communication, and problem solving abilities.

School social worker example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients suffering from substance abuse/dependence.
Prepare APS reports as needed and present them to the state.
Prepare IEP's, set goals, and objectives consistent with CSE standards.
Train college interns, new employees, and volunteers on APS policies and procedures.
Design school-wide and individual PBIS programs and incentives; as well as compiled data relate to PBIS.

Child advocate vs school social worker skills

Common child advocate skills

Social Work, 16%
Safety Planning, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Mental Health, 7%
Child Abuse, 5%
Child Advocacy, 5%

Common school social worker skills

Social Work, 26%
Social Emotional, 6%
IEP, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Professional Development, 5%
Behavioral Issues, 4%