Foster care worker vs family counselor

The differences between foster care workers and family counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a foster care worker and a family counselor. Additionally, a foster care worker has an average salary of $46,037, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a foster care worker include foster care, social work and child abuse. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Foster care worker vs family counselor overview

	Foster Care Worker	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$46,037	$41,510
Hourly rate	$22.13	$19.96
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	151,625	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a foster care worker do?

A Foster Care Worker helps improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families as well as increases the family's well-being and the academic functioning of children. They counsel families about issues regarding their child's care and develop healthy living situations.

What does a family counselor do?

A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.

Foster care worker vs family counselor salary

Foster care workers and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Foster Care Worker	Family Counselor
Average salary	$46,037	$41,510
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $65,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Riverview Health	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	Construction	Professional

Differences between foster care worker and family counselor education

There are a few differences between a foster care worker and a family counselor in terms of educational background:

	Foster Care Worker	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Foster care worker vs family counselor demographics

Here are the differences between foster care workers' and family counselors' demographics:

	Foster Care Worker	Family Counselor
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
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 foster care worker and family counselor duties and responsibilities

Foster care worker example responsibilities.

Conduct unscheduled regular school visits to attain records of attendance, suspensions, IEP, and treatment plans.
Manage to write progress note, complete FASP's and input information on PROMIS on a timely manner.
Manage caseload of 18 23 children and adolescents in DSS custody due to abuse, neglect and criminal activity.
Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.

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Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

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Foster care worker vs family counselor skills

Common foster care worker skills

Foster Care, 26%
Social Work, 19%
Child Abuse, 7%
Social Services, 6%
Foster Children, 5%
Community Resources, 4%

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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