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The differences between family specialists and protective service 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 specialist and a protective service specialist. Additionally, a protective service specialist has an average salary of $50,293, 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 protective service specialist are social work, child safety, and foster care.
| Family Specialist | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,115 | $50,293 |
| Hourly rate | $19.29 | $24.18 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 81,148 | 81,211 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| 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.
Protective Service Specialists provide information to individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through child support services and employment opportunities. Most of these specialists recommend family services include parenting education, drug counseling, and financial base services. They review applicant documentation to determine eligibility for federal and state aid programs, including food stamps, Medicaid, and emergency assistance. Also, protective service specialists assist families with the resources that can help resolve the issues that risk the children's placement. They may even provide staff supervision about referrals obtained to ensure that they meet the criteria for services and intervention.
Family specialists and protective service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Specialist | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Average salary | $40,115 | $50,293 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $51,000 | Between $32,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a family specialist and a protective service specialist in terms of educational background:
| Family Specialist | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between family specialists' and protective service specialists' demographics:
| Family Specialist | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| 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% |