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The differences between child protective specialists and service counselors 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 protective specialist, becoming a service counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a child protective specialist has an average salary of $52,032, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.
The top three skills for a child protective specialist include social work, social services and mental health. The most important skills for a service counselor are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.
| Child Protective Specialist | Service Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $52,032 | $35,402 |
| Hourly rate | $25.02 | $17.02 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 75,325 | 44,284 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A Child Protective Specialist is a social worker who handles suspected cases of abuse and neglect in children. They focus on performing research and investigation, conducting home visits and inspections, interviewing families and potential witnesses, gathering evidence, and reaching out to hospitals or schools to collect and analyze data. Through the findings of their investigation, a Child Protective Specialist draws conclusions and develops recommendations for the children's safety and welfare. Moreover, there are instances where they conduct interventions, refer families to other agencies, or coordinate with law enforcement.
Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.
Child protective specialists and service counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Protective Specialist | Service Counselor | |
| Average salary | $52,032 | $35,402 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $65,000 | Between $24,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Children's National Medical Center | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a child protective specialist and a service counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child Protective Specialist | Service Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between child protective specialists' and service counselors' demographics:
| Child Protective Specialist | Service Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |