Forensic social worker vs clinical social worker

The differences between forensic social workers and clinical 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 forensic social worker, becoming a clinical social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical social worker has an average salary of $63,056, which is higher than the $51,696 average annual salary of a forensic social worker.

The top three skills for a forensic social worker include social work, psycho-social assessments and mental health. The most important skills for a clinical social worker are social work, patients, and behavioral health.

Forensic social worker vs clinical social worker overview

	Forensic Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$51,696	$63,056
Hourly rate	$24.85	$30.32
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	102,030	124,816
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Master's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	4	2

Forensic social worker vs clinical social worker salary

Forensic social workers and clinical social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average salary	$51,696	$63,056
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $64,000	Between $42,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Tucson Electric Power
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between forensic social worker and clinical social worker education

There are a few differences between a forensic social worker and a clinical social worker in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Master's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	Boston College	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic social worker vs clinical social worker demographics

Here are the differences between forensic social workers' and clinical social workers' demographics:

	Forensic Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	Male, 21.7% Female, 78.3%
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%

Differences between forensic social worker and clinical social worker duties and responsibilities

Forensic social worker example responsibilities.

Manage caseload and complete all paperwork according to OMH guidelines.
Counsele veterans and Medi-Cal clients individually to provide behavioral interventions in order to address their anxiety, depression and anger.
Facilitate the building of community partnerships and provide community outreach and marketing efforts to generate new client business.

Clinical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical services to patients in rehabilitation and oncology including assessment, crisis intervention, grief therapy, and discharge planning.
Provide individual, group, family therapy, team coordination, discharge planning, utilization review and MSW student supervision.
Participate in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings to determine Medicare length of skil nursing stay.
Facilitate therapy, symptom management, and rehabilitation groups for mental health clients in partial hospitalization setting.

Forensic social worker vs clinical social worker skills

Common forensic social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Psycho-Social Assessments, 11%
Mental Health, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Criminal Justice, 4%
Community Resources, 4%

Common clinical social worker skills

Social Work, 28%
Patients, 17%
Behavioral Health, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Community Resources, 4%
MSW, 3%

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Forensic Social Worker
Forensic Social Worker vs Clinical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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