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The differences between child welfare specialists and family counselors 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 welfare specialist and a family counselor. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.
The top three skills for a child welfare specialist include social work, foster care and child safety. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.
| Child Welfare Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,377 | $41,510 |
| Hourly rate | $24.22 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 76,508 | 93,253 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Child welfare specialists and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Welfare Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,377 | $41,510 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $71,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cherry Hill, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | University of California | Shirley Ryan AbilityLab |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a child welfare specialist and a family counselor in terms of educational background:
| Child Welfare Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between child welfare specialists' and family counselors' demographics:
| Child Welfare Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |