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The differences between family support workers and family support 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 support worker and a family support specialist. Additionally, a family support worker has an average salary of $38,207, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support specialist.
The top three skills for a family support worker include social work, foster care and family support. The most important skills for a family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.
| Family Support Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,207 | $37,343 |
| Hourly rate | $18.37 | $17.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 159,875 | 143,739 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A family service worker is a social service agent who assesses the needs of family and promotes wellbeing, social justice, and human rights through governmental and social service agencies. Family service workers offer services that can include counseling and mediation to families that will help them navigate the protocols of the social system. They act as liaisons between families facing problems and different government organizations. Family service workers also ensure that families in need are getting the benefits they are entitled to, as well as help them access various community resources.
A family support specialist is an individual who provides counseling and rehabilitation services to families who are facing crises so that their lives can be improved. Family support specialists conduct interviews with members of a family to determine areas that need support such as anti-social behavior, bullying, or domestic violence. They collaborate with healthcare and social professionals to evaluate caseload needs. In cases of relevant child protection, family support specialists are also required to attend court sessions.
Family support workers and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Support Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,207 | $37,343 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $54,000 | Between $24,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | St. Elizabeth's Health Center | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a family support worker and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Family Support Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | Hunter College of the City University of New York |
Here are the differences between family support workers' and family support specialists' demographics:
| Family Support Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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% |