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The differences between protective service specialists and family service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a protective service specialist and a family service worker. Additionally, a protective service specialist has an average salary of $50,293, which is higher than the $37,674 average annual salary of a family service worker.
The top three skills for a protective service specialist include social work, child safety and foster care. The most important skills for a family service worker are social work, foster care, and child abuse.
| Protective Service Specialist | Family Service Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $50,293 | $37,674 |
| Hourly rate | $24.18 | $18.11 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 81,211 | 111,599 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Protective Service Specialists provide information to individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through child support services and employment opportunities. Most of these specialists recommend family services include parenting education, drug counseling, and financial base services. They review applicant documentation to determine eligibility for federal and state aid programs, including food stamps, Medicaid, and emergency assistance. Also, protective service specialists assist families with the resources that can help resolve the issues that risk the children's placement. They may even provide staff supervision about referrals obtained to ensure that they meet the criteria for services and intervention.
A family service worker is in charge of providing support services to families in a community, referring them to other agencies or programs as needed. They serve as the primary point of contact of family members, ensuring they maintain an active line of communication. Their responsibilities typically revolve around enrolling family members into social services programs, gathering and verifying information, maintaining databases, and assisting in all procedures, all while updating families for any progress. Furthermore, a family service worker needs to coordinate with other social workers to provide the most effective service.
Protective service specialists and family service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Service Specialist | Family Service Worker | |
| Average salary | $50,293 | $37,674 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $76,000 | Between $28,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Washington County |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a protective service specialist and a family service worker in terms of educational background:
| Protective Service Specialist | Family Service Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | SUNY at Albany | Hunter College of the City University of New York |
Here are the differences between protective service specialists' and family service workers' demographics:
| Protective Service Specialist | Family Service Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |