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Life coach vs social worker

The differences between life coaches and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a life coach, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, which is higher than the $41,947 average annual salary of a life coach.

The top three skills for a life coach include relationship building, mental health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Life coach vs social worker overview

Life CoachSocial Worker
Yearly salary$41,947$50,102
Hourly rate$20.17$24.09
Growth rate20%9%
Number of jobs25,64277,340
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age3645
Years of experience62

What does a life coach do?

A Life Coach specializes in presenting techniques and mental roadmaps to help clients progress towards their short and long-term goals in various aspects of life. Their responsibilities include facilitating discussions in a one-on-one or group setting, identifying the clients' needs, developing action plans and other strategies to reach goals, and encouraging the clients' progress. A Life Coach may also create various projects and programs to help clients navigate through multiple paths and obstacles, providing support along the way.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Life coach vs social worker salary

Life coaches and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Life CoachSocial Worker
Average salary$41,947$50,102
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $64,000Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City-Portland, OR
Highest paying state-Oregon
Best paying company-Health Advocates
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between life coach and social worker education

There are a few differences between a life coach and a social worker in terms of educational background:

Life CoachSocial Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorPsychologySocial Work
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Life coach vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between life coaches' and social workers' demographics:

Life CoachSocial Worker
Average age3645
Gender ratioMale, 32.5% Female, 67.5%Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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 Percentage8%13%

Differences between life coach and social worker duties and responsibilities

Life coach example responsibilities.

  • Assist clients with personal and professional coaching, copywriting, managing, marketing and promotions.
  • Incorporate MBTI and other coaching tools to help executives and sales teams achieve increase productivity.
  • Train and experience at managing challenging classroom situations using CPI methods and positive behavior reinforcement practices.
  • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
  • Deliver MBTI leadership workshop for executive staff providing organizational development solutions.
  • Provide support to individuals in vocational rehabilitation and work with them learning employment and socialization skills.
  • Show more

Social worker example responsibilities.

  • Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
  • Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
  • Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
  • Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
  • Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
  • Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.
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Life coach vs social worker skills

Common life coach skills
  • Relationship Building, 17%
  • Mental Health, 10%
  • Crisis Intervention, 6%
  • Community Resources, 6%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 5%
  • Behavior Modification, 5%
Common social worker skills
  • Social Work, 30%
  • Patients, 15%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • MSW, 4%
  • Discharge Planning, 4%
  • Home Health, 4%

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