Family service counselor vs child protective investigator

The differences between family service counselors and child protective investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family service counselor and a child protective investigator. Additionally, a family service counselor has an average salary of $49,490, which is higher than the $47,903 average annual salary of a child protective investigator.

The top three skills for a family service counselor include social work, community resources and family services. The most important skills for a child protective investigator are patrol, social work, and local law enforcement.

Family service counselor vs child protective investigator overview

	Family Service Counselor	Child Protective Investigator
Yearly salary	$49,490	$47,903
Hourly rate	$23.79	$23.03
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	84,595	15,938
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Family service counselor vs child protective investigator salary

Family service counselors and child protective investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Service Counselor	Child Protective Investigator
Average salary	$49,490	$47,903
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $76,000	Between $37,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Camden, NJ
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Phoenix Children's	Saks Fifth Avenue
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between family service counselor and child protective investigator education

There are a few differences between a family service counselor and a child protective investigator in terms of educational background:

	Family Service Counselor	Child Protective Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Psychology	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY at Albany

Family service counselor vs child protective investigator demographics

Here are the differences between family service counselors' and child protective investigators' demographics:

	Family Service Counselor	Child Protective Investigator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%
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, 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	10%	10%

Differences between family service counselor and child protective investigator duties and responsibilities

Family service counselor example responsibilities.

Maintain the HMIS databases for new leads and existing client s needs.
Design and implement new position utilizing community outreach counseling and support services for patients in partial hospital and outpatient programs.
Perform drug screens after hours so the kids wouldn't miss school.
Maintain and upkeep knowledge of current policy and program procedures for programs administer by DHS.
Identify and assess needs of minors place in care by DCF due to abuse or neglect.
Coordinate cases with supervisor, team members, providers, medical teams, DCF and attorneys as needed.

Child protective investigator example responsibilities.

Utilize locating systems, negotiate agreements, file motions and prepare subpoenas.
Review and approve time sheets, mileage reports for CPI assign to the unit.
Complete timely findings including determining if someone should be place on the child abuse registry.
Investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation that are report to the state abuse hotline.
Respond to Hotline reports, conduct child safety assessments, and determine immediate risk to child.
Review child safety assessments as submitted by CPI, and provide direction and guidance in the investigation.

Family service counselor vs child protective investigator skills

Common family service counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
Family Services, 10%
Mental Health, 7%
Client Families, 6%
Child Abuse, 3%

Common child protective investigator skills

Patrol, 35%
Social Work, 16%
Local Law Enforcement, 7%
CCTV, 4%
Child Protective, 4%
Family Dynamics, 3%

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Family Service Counselor
Family Service Counselor vs Child Protective Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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