Domestic violence advocate vs child welfare specialist

The differences between domestic violence advocates and child welfare specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a domestic violence advocate, becoming a child welfare specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $47,440 average annual salary of a domestic violence advocate.

The top three skills for a domestic violence advocate include safety planning, domestic violence victims and legal advocacy. The most important skills for a child welfare specialist are social work, foster care, and child safety.

Domestic violence advocate vs child welfare specialist overview

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Child Welfare Specialist
Yearly salary	$47,440	$50,377
Hourly rate	$22.81	$24.22
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	68,579	76,508
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	12	4

Domestic violence advocate vs child welfare specialist salary

Domestic violence advocates and child welfare specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Child Welfare Specialist
Average salary	$47,440	$50,377
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $77,000	Between $35,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Cherry Hill, NJ
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	Sinai Chicago	University of California
Best paying industry	Government	Technology

Differences between domestic violence advocate and child welfare specialist education

There are a few differences between a domestic violence advocate and a child welfare specialist in terms of educational background:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Child Welfare Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	SUNY at Albany

Domestic violence advocate vs child welfare specialist demographics

Here are the differences between domestic violence advocates' and child welfare specialists' demographics:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Child Welfare Specialist
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4%	Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%	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 Percentage	11%	10%

Differences between domestic violence advocate and child welfare specialist duties and responsibilities

Domestic violence advocate example responsibilities.

Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and work as a team member with the YWCA staff and administration.

Child welfare specialist example responsibilities.

Manage TANF program, in turn this help clients develop skills to enter the workforce.
Provide comprehensive case management to DCFS clients and their families to achieve case goals as outlined in the client service plan.
Manage a caseload TANF clients, assess clients eligibility to receive benefits, assist with placement of clients in various programs.
Complete behavior, mood and communication sections assign to social services on the MDS.
Advocate for the rights of incapacitate adults who are the alleged victims in APS referrals.
Assist clients in resolving conflicts with DHS workers or service providers while maintaining professionalism in an emotionally charge climate.

Domestic violence advocate vs child welfare specialist skills

Common domestic violence advocate skills

Safety Planning, 18%
Domestic Violence Victims, 8%
Legal Advocacy, 7%
Social Work, 5%
Community Resources, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common child welfare specialist skills

Social Work, 30%
Foster Care, 16%
Child Safety, 4%
Child Welfare, 4%
Court Hearings, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

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Domestic Violence Advocate
Domestic Violence Advocate vs Child Welfare Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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