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The differences between family service workers and licensed social workers 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 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 $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 licensed social worker are social work, patients, and home health.
| Family Service Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $37,674 | $57,005 |
| Hourly rate | $18.11 | $27.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 111,599 | 66,130 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.
Family service workers and licensed social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Service Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $37,674 | $57,005 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $41,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Washington County | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a family service worker and a licensed social worker in terms of educational background:
| Family Service Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between family service workers' and licensed social workers' demographics:
| Family Service Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 13% |