Domestic violence advocate vs licensed social worker

The differences between domestic violence advocates and licensed social workers 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 licensed social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, 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 licensed social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Domestic violence advocate vs licensed social worker overview

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Licensed Social Worker
Yearly salary	$47,440	$57,005
Hourly rate	$22.81	$27.41
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	68,579	66,130
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	2

Domestic violence advocate vs licensed social worker salary

Domestic violence advocates and licensed social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Licensed Social Worker
Average salary	$47,440	$57,005
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $77,000	Between $41,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Sinai Chicago	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between domestic violence advocate and licensed social worker education

There are a few differences between a domestic violence advocate and a licensed social worker in terms of educational background:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Licensed Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Domestic violence advocate vs licensed social worker demographics

Here are the differences between domestic violence advocates' and licensed social workers' demographics:

	Domestic Violence Advocate	Licensed Social Worker
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 8.6% Female, 91.4%	Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%
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, 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	11%	13%

Differences between domestic violence advocate and licensed social worker 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.

Licensed social worker example responsibilities.

Foster self-determination of patients by evaluating for vocational rehabilitation that includes employment, volunteering, or education opportunities.
Evaluate and provide psychotherapy services to patients diagnose with serious and persistent mental illness and/or chemical dependency within an inpatient setting.
Provide clinical supervision to MSW students.
Supervise and train MSW students during their final concentration practicum.
Plan and facilitate trainings that address trauma exposure and the impact of compassion fatigue on administrative staff.
Provide medically relate social services to residents in a sub-acute, short term rehabilitation unit.

Domestic violence advocate vs licensed social worker 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 licensed social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 13%
Home Health, 11%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

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Domestic Violence Advocate
Domestic Violence Advocate vs Licensed Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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