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The differences between family support workers and family therapists 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 therapist. Additionally, a family therapist has an average salary of $50,774, which is higher than the $38,207 average annual salary of a family support worker.
The top three skills for a family support worker include social work, foster care and family support. The most important skills for a family therapist are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Family Support Worker | Family Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,207 | $50,774 |
| Hourly rate | $18.37 | $24.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 159,875 | 106,982 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| 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 Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.
Family support workers and family therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Support Worker | Family Therapist | |
| Average salary | $38,207 | $50,774 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $54,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | Oregon |
| Best paying company | St. Elizabeth's Health Center | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a family support worker and a family therapist in terms of educational background:
| Family Support Worker | Family Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between family support workers' and family therapists' demographics:
| Family Support Worker | Family Therapist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% |
| 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% |