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Children's service worker vs child support specialist

The differences between children's service workers and child support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a children's service worker and a child support specialist. Additionally, a child support specialist has an average salary of $38,271, which is higher than the $35,625 average annual salary of a children's service worker.

The top three skills for a children's service worker include social work, foster care and law enforcement. The most important skills for a child support specialist are customer service, social work, and child support cases.

Children's service worker vs child support specialist overview

Children's Service WorkerChild Support Specialist
Yearly salary$35,625$38,271
Hourly rate$17.13$18.40
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs51,504143,623
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Children's service worker vs child support specialist salary

Children's service workers and child support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Children's Service WorkerChild Support Specialist
Average salary$35,625$38,271
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $49,000Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityCoon Rapids, MNRockville, MD
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyState of West VirginiaUniversity of Rochester
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between children's service worker and child support specialist education

There are a few differences between a children's service worker and a child support specialist in terms of educational background:

Children's Service WorkerChild Support Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorSocial WorkPsychology
Most common collegeBoston UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Children's service worker vs child support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between children's service workers' and child support specialists' demographics:

Children's Service WorkerChild Support Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 21.0% Female, 79.0%Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between children's service worker and child support specialist duties and responsibilities

Children's service worker example responsibilities.

  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Task supervisor for MSW graduate students for field placement.
  • Recognize risk factors quickly, collaborate with interdisciplinary team, nurture positive relationships with patients through consistency and modeling healthy boundaries.
  • Authorize medical necessity forms for Medicaid services.
  • Assure federal regulations and all eligibility requirements are follow when placing customers into proper Medicaid program.
  • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

Child support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage project SharePoint site for the purpose of supporting ongoing collaboration
  • Train in CPR and child restraint.
  • Represent clients during mediation proceedings in court.
  • Process summons, subpoenas, appeals and motions.
  • Change diapers, clean and disinfect center to meet DHS standars.
  • Used mediation skills to dissolve disputes between custodial and non custodial parents.
  • Show more

Children's service worker vs child support specialist skills

Common children's service worker skills
  • Social Work, 10%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • Law Enforcement, 7%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Substance Abuse, 6%
  • Protective Services, 6%
Common child support specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Child Support Cases, 8%
  • Court Orders, 6%
  • Child Support Orders, 6%
  • Child Support Enforcement, 5%

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