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The differences between licensed social workers and therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, which is higher than the $55,943 average annual salary of a therapist.
The top three skills for a licensed social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| Licensed Social Worker | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,005 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $27.41 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 66,130 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.
A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
Licensed social workers and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Social Worker | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $57,005 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $78,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a licensed social worker and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Social Worker | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between licensed social workers' and therapists' demographics:
| Licensed Social Worker | Therapist | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 12% |