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The differences between family service workers and child welfare specialists 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 worker and a child welfare specialist. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, 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 a child welfare specialist are social work, foster care, and child safety.
| Family Service Worker | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,674 | $50,377 |
| Hourly rate | $18.11 | $24.22 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 111,599 | 76,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.
Family service workers and child welfare specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Service Worker | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,674 | $50,377 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Cherry Hill, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Washington County | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a family service worker and a child welfare specialist in terms of educational background:
| Family Service Worker | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between family service workers' and child welfare specialists' demographics:
| Family Service Worker | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% |
| 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% |