Forensic social worker vs family therapist

The differences between forensic social 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 forensic social worker and a family therapist. Additionally, a forensic social worker has an average salary of $51,696, which is higher than the $50,774 average annual salary of a family therapist.

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

Forensic social worker vs family therapist overview

	Forensic Social Worker	Family Therapist
Yearly salary	$51,696	$50,774
Hourly rate	$24.85	$24.41
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	102,030	106,982
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	4	4

Forensic social worker vs family therapist salary

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average salary	$51,696	$50,774
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $64,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Dignity Health
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between forensic social worker and family therapist education

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Family Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Boston College	California State University - Long Beach

Forensic social worker vs family therapist demographics

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	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%

Differences between forensic social worker and family therapist 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.

Family therapist example responsibilities.

Complete documentation to medicaid standards.
Create maximum billable Medicaid hours and submitting necessary paperwork for Medicaid billing.
Apply behavioral analysis instruction for a student with autism concentrating on communication, socialization, self-help skills and community skills.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.

Forensic social worker vs family therapist 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 family therapist skills

Social Work, 27%
Patients, 6%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 4%
Mental Health Issues, 4%
Group Therapy, 3%

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Forensic Social Worker
Forensic Social Worker vs Family Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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