Probation officer vs social worker

The differences between probation officers and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a probation officer, 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 $47,252 average annual salary of a probation officer.

The top three skills for a probation officer include criminal justice, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Probation officer vs social worker overview

	Probation Officer	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$47,252	$50,102
Hourly rate	$22.72	$24.09
Growth rate	-	9%
Number of jobs	55,952	77,340
Job satisfaction	5	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	44	45
Years of experience	4	2

What does a probation officer do?

A probation officer is responsible for monitoring probationers' cases, evaluating terms, and overseeing rehabilitation processes. Probation officers strategize probational operations, as well as recommending treatment plans to achieve probational objectives. They also maintain progress reports, deciding on release requirements and other conditional services to motivate the probationers on adhering to their treatment procedures. A probation officer assesses the probationers' behaviors during the probationary period, regularly interacting with them to identify their challenges, and administering remedial actions.

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.

Probation officer vs social worker salary

Probation officers and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Probation Officer	Social Worker
Average salary	$47,252	$50,102
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $69,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Nevada	Oregon
Best paying company	Hamilton	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between probation officer and social worker education

There are a few differences between a probation officer and a social worker in terms of educational background:

	Probation Officer	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Probation officer vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between probation officers' and social workers' demographics:

	Probation Officer	Social Worker
Average age	44	45
Gender ratio	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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 Percentage	10%	13%

Differences between probation officer and social worker duties and responsibilities

Probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Create comprehensive case plans that identify needs of offenders in order to facilitate public safety and rehabilitation of the offender.
Promote positive changes in offender behavior that have been release from TDCJ to pursue their sentence.
Assist in the screening and selection of GPS offenders that are release from custody as a condition of bond.
Clerk probate, guardianship, commitment and juvenile, prepare minutes, schedule hearings and draft legal documents and correspondence.
Complete pre-sentence interviews and investigations.

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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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Probation officer vs social worker skills

Common probation officer skills

Criminal Justice, 12%
Mental Health, 10%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Juvenile Offenders, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Court Orders, 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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Updated January 8, 2025

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