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The differences between psychological assistants and social services assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a psychological assistant and a social services assistant. Additionally, a psychological assistant has an average salary of $68,862, which is higher than the $37,445 average annual salary of a social services assistant.
The top three skills for a psychological assistant include patients, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for a social services assistant are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Psychological Assistant | Social Services Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $68,862 | $37,445 |
| Hourly rate | $33.11 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 90,785 | 152,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A psychological assistant primarily performs support tasks to assist a psychologist in treating patients at a medical facility. Their duties focus on helping patients by answering inquiries, giving instructions, explaining procedures, gathering requirements, and conducting initial assessments. They can participate in serving the patients under the supervision and directives of a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a psychological assistant may also participate in conducting research, preparing and processing necessary paperwork, handling calls and other forms of correspondence, and attending meetings and seminars.
A social services assistant is responsible for supporting the social needs of citizens within society. Social services assistants work within the community office or health institutions to assist patients and their families in processing their needs and obtaining medical information. They also coordinate with other organizations to gather additional resources and financial assistance to plan community programs that will be beneficial for society. A social services assistant provides counseling to the families to identify the services and referrals they needed.
Psychological assistants and social services assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychological Assistant | Social Services Assistant | |
| Average salary | $68,862 | $37,445 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $105,000 | Between $29,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | Tacoma, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | New York University | Research Foundation of The City University of New York |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Government |
There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and a social services assistant in terms of educational background:
| Psychological Assistant | Social Services Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and social services assistants' demographics:
| Psychological Assistant | Social Services Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 17.0% Female, 83.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |