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The differences between child protective specialists 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 protective specialist, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a child protective specialist has an average salary of $52,032, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.
The top three skills for a child protective specialist include social work, social services and mental health. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.
| Child Protective Specialist | Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $52,032 | $50,102 |
| Hourly rate | $25.02 | $24.09 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 75,325 | 77,340 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
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 protective specialists and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Protective Specialist | Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $52,032 | $50,102 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $65,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Children's National Medical Center | Health Advocates |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a child protective specialist and a social worker in terms of educational background:
| Child Protective Specialist | Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between child protective specialists' and social workers' demographics:
| Child Protective Specialist | Social Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 13% |