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The differences between family service workers and advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a family service worker, becoming an advocate takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an advocate has an average salary of $39,497, which is higher than the $37,674 average annual salary of a family service worker.
The top three skills for a family service worker include social work, foster care and child abuse. The most important skills for an advocate are CPR, customer service, and developmental disabilities.
| Family Service Worker | Advocate | |
| Yearly salary | $37,674 | $39,497 |
| Hourly rate | $18.11 | $18.99 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 111,599 | 74,970 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A family service worker is in charge of providing support services to families in a community, referring them to other agencies or programs as needed. They serve as the primary point of contact of family members, ensuring they maintain an active line of communication. Their responsibilities typically revolve around enrolling family members into social services programs, gathering and verifying information, maintaining databases, and assisting in all procedures, all while updating families for any progress. Furthermore, a family service worker needs to coordinate with other social workers to provide the most effective service.
An advocate is a voice for the voiceless. It is their responsibility to speak on behalf of an individual or a particular cause. Most of the duties will vary depending on the line of organization or duty involved; however, an advocate must have extensive knowledge or background on the subject matter. Furthermore, an advocate must be present at gatherings regarding the cause, assist in the negotiation and mediation processes involving contracts and legal documentation, provide or convey accurate information, and defend what they represent.
Family service workers and advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Service Worker | Advocate | |
| Average salary | $37,674 | $39,497 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $26,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Washington County | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a family service worker and an advocate in terms of educational background:
| Family Service Worker | Advocate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between family service workers' and advocates' demographics:
| Family Service Worker | Advocate | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% | Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |