Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between protective services social workers and family support specialists 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 services social worker and a family support specialist. Additionally, a protective services social worker has an average salary of $51,488, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support specialist.
The top three skills for a protective services social worker include social work, protective services and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.
| Protective Services Social Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,488 | $37,343 |
| Hourly rate | $24.75 | $17.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 94,975 | 143,739 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Protective Services Social Worker provides counseling, rehabilitation, or placement services for children and adults who are disabled. They also help individuals or families deal with domestic violence, traumatic events, or terminal illnesses.
A family support specialist is an individual who provides counseling and rehabilitation services to families who are facing crises so that their lives can be improved. Family support specialists conduct interviews with members of a family to determine areas that need support such as anti-social behavior, bullying, or domestic violence. They collaborate with healthcare and social professionals to evaluate caseload needs. In cases of relevant child protection, family support specialists are also required to attend court sessions.
Protective services social workers and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Services Social Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,488 | $37,343 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $63,000 | Between $24,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Washington State University | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Professional |
There are a few differences between a protective services social worker and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Protective Services Social Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston College | Hunter College of the City University of New York |
Here are the differences between protective services social workers' and family support specialists' demographics:
| Protective Services Social Worker | Family Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.6% Female, 81.4% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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% |