Forensic social worker vs forensic psychologist

The differences between forensic social workers and forensic psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a forensic psychologist has an average salary of $83,065, 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 forensic psychologist are psychological evaluations, mental illness, and risk assessments.

Forensic social worker vs forensic psychologist overview

	Forensic Social Worker	Forensic Psychologist
Yearly salary	$51,696	$83,065
Hourly rate	$24.85	$39.94
Growth rate	9%	6%
Number of jobs	102,030	11,802
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	4	-

Forensic social worker vs forensic psychologist salary

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Forensic Psychologist
Average salary	$51,696	$83,065
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $64,000	Between $56,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Wellpath
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between forensic social worker and forensic psychologist education

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Forensic Psychologist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Social Work	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	Boston College	Northwestern University

Forensic social worker vs forensic psychologist demographics

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

	Forensic Social Worker	Forensic Psychologist
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 21.4% Female, 78.6%	Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3%
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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 76.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	20%

Differences between forensic social worker and forensic psychologist 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.

Forensic psychologist example responsibilities.

Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.

Forensic social worker vs forensic psychologist 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 forensic psychologist skills

Psychological Evaluations, 12%
Mental Illness, 11%
Risk Assessments, 11%
Forensic Evaluations, 10%
Mental Health, 8%
Psychological Tests, 8%

Forensic Social Worker vs. similar jobs

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Forensic Social Worker
Forensic Social Worker vs Forensic Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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