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The differences between family specialists and family 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 specialist and a family counselor. Additionally, a family counselor has an average salary of $41,510, which is higher than the $40,115 average annual salary of a family specialist.
The top three skills for a family specialist include social work, foster care and substance abuse. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.
| Family Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $40,115 | $41,510 |
| Hourly rate | $19.29 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 81,148 | 93,253 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Family Specialist performs social work for families in need. They are focused on helping individuals and families to improve their lives.
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Family specialists and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Average salary | $40,115 | $41,510 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $51,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Shirley Ryan AbilityLab |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a family specialist and a family counselor in terms of educational background:
| Family Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between family specialists' and family counselors' demographics:
| Family Specialist | Family Counselor | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6% | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% |
| 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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |