Family service counselor vs children's counselor

The differences between family service counselors and children's 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 family service counselor and a children's counselor. Additionally, a family service counselor has an average salary of $49,490, which is higher than the $38,024 average annual salary of a children's counselor.

The top three skills for a family service counselor include social work, community resources and family services. The most important skills for a children's counselor are child care, social work, and mental health.

Family service counselor vs children's counselor overview

	Family Service Counselor	Children's Counselor
Yearly salary	$49,490	$38,024
Hourly rate	$23.79	$18.28
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	84,595	39,726
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Family service counselor vs children's counselor salary

Family service counselors and children's counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Service Counselor	Children's Counselor
Average salary	$49,490	$38,024
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $76,000	Between $21,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Torrance, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Phoenix Children's	Lake County
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between family service counselor and children's counselor education

There are a few differences between a family service counselor and a children's counselor in terms of educational background:

	Family Service Counselor	Children's Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Family service counselor vs children's counselor demographics

Here are the differences between family service counselors' and children's counselors' demographics:

	Family Service Counselor	Children's Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
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 children's counselor 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.

Children's counselor example responsibilities.

Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Develop and attend treatment plan and IEP meetings for adolescents with mental diagnosis.
Maintain IEP goals and classroom management.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

Family service counselor vs children's counselor 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 children's counselor skills

Child Care, 22%
Social Work, 12%
Mental Health, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Group Therapy, 7%
Family Therapy, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Family Service Counselor
Family Service Counselor vs Children's Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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