Child and family therapist vs social worker

The differences between child and family therapists and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a child and family therapist, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a child and family therapist has an average salary of $55,339, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for a child and family therapist include social work, diagnosis and mental health. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Child and family therapist vs social worker overview

	Child And Family Therapist	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$55,339	$50,102
Hourly rate	$26.61	$24.09
Growth rate	14%	9%
Number of jobs	120,152	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	41	45
Years of experience	4	2

What does a child and family therapist do?

Child and family therapists are therapists who specialize in treating traumatized children due to neglect or abuse. They always formulate various techniques and activities to treat their patients and help improve the affected family's quality of living while maintaining confidentiality and following HIPAA laws and agency policies and procedures. During treatment, they monitor the progress of their patients and adjust the treatment accordingly. They also train youth counselors to maintain open communication with their families to know the cause and resolve problems faster.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Child and family therapist vs social worker salary

Child and family therapists and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child And Family Therapist	Social Worker
Average salary	$55,339	$50,102
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $81,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Alaska	Oregon
Best paying company	Everymind (formerly Mental Health Association Of Montgomery County)	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between child and family therapist and social worker education

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

	Child And Family Therapist	Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Child and family therapist vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between child and family therapists' and social workers' demographics:

	Child And Family Therapist	Social Worker
Average age	41	45
Gender ratio	Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	13%

Differences between child and family therapist and social worker duties and responsibilities

Child and family therapist example responsibilities.

Develop and lead DBT base therapy groups for children and adolescents in residential treatment.
Train in HIPAA as well as an understanding of BCBA professional standards.
Create, implement, and monitor behavior programs under supervision of a BCBA.
Conduct psychological testing for social security disability, vocational rehabilitation, and hospital inpatient populations.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.

Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

Child and family therapist vs social worker skills

Common child and family therapist skills

Social Work, 21%
Diagnosis, 8%
Mental Health, 6%
Individual Therapy, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Behavioral Health, 5%

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

Child And Family Therapist vs. similar jobs

Child And Family Therapist related careers

Child And Family Therapist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Child And Family Therapist
Child And Family Therapist vs Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs